Best of
Graphic-Novels-Comics

2004

The Complete Peanuts, Vol. 1: 1950-1952


Charles M. Schulz - 2004
    (Among other things, three major cast members—Schroeder, Lucy, and Linus—initially show up as infants and only "grow" into their final "mature" selves as the months go by. Even Snoopy debuts as a puppy!) Thus The Complete Peanuts offers a unique chance to see a master of the art form refine his skills and solidify his universe, day by day, week by week, month by month.This volume is rounded out with Garrison Keillor's introduction, a biographical essay by David Michaelis (Schulz and Peanuts) and an in-depth interview with Schulz conducted in 1987 by Gary Groth and Rick Marschall, all wrapped in a gorgeous design by award-winning cartoonist Seth.

The Walking Dead, Book One


Robert Kirkman - 2004
    Perfect for long time fans, new readers and anyone needing a slightly heavy object with which to fend off the walking dead.

Locas


Jaime Hernández - 2004
    Created over 15 years from 1981-96 in the pages of the legendary comic Love and Rockets and collected here in a giant deluxe hardcover.One of the most humane, graceful and imaginatively inexhaustible artists in American popular culture, Jaime Hernandez has created in Locas one of the great American novels of the last 30 years, graphic or otherwise. Created over 15 years from 1981 to 1996 in the pages of the legendary comic book series Love and Rockets, Locas tells the story of Maggie Chascarrillo, a bisexual, Mexican-American woman attempting to define herself in a community rife with class, race and gender issues.Maggie's story begins in the early-1980s Southern California rock scene, when it was shifting from the excesses of the 1970s to the gritty basics of punk and new wave. Hardcore punk rock came to the fore, and the teenaged Maggie finds herself drawn to the anarchy, energy and diversity of the scene, which in Jaime's hands becomes a very real, habitable place populated with authentic human beings rather than stereotypes. She quickly befriends Hopey Glass, a feisty anti-authoritarian punkette who quickly becomes Maggie's on-again, off-again lover and a constant presence in her life throughout the book.As the New York Times Book Review has described it, "These stories have all the visual smarts of film and the narrative smarts of literature....Hernandez specializes in psychological detail; we see both text and subtext immediately....What better than to open a book that shows there is more going on than we dream of in our workaday philosophies?"

Days Gone Bye


Robert KirkmanRus Wooton - 2004
    The world of commerce and frivolous necessity has been replaced by a world of survival and responsibility. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months society has crumbled: no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, the survivors are forced to finally start living.

Hellboy: Odder Jobs


Christopher Golden - 2004
    Lavishly illustrated by creator Mike Mignola!Contents:Introduction / Frank Darabont;* The Brotherhood of the Gun / Frank Darabont;* From an Enchanter Fleeing / Peter Crowther;* Down in the Flood / Scott Allie;* Newford Spook Squad / Charles de Lint;* Water Music / David J. Schow;* The Vampire Brief / James L. Cambias;* Unfinished Business / Ed Gorman, Richard Dean Starr;* Saint Hellboy / Tom Piccirilli;* Sleepless in Manhattan / Nancy Kilpatrick;* The Wish Hounds / Sharyn McCrumb;* Act of Mercy / Thomas E. Sniegoski;* The Thrice-named Hill / Graham Joyce;* Of Blood, of Clay / James A. Moore;* A Full and Satisfying Life / Ray Garton;* The Glass Road / Tim Lebbon;* Tasty Teeth / Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Robbins.

Sgt. Piggy's Lonely Hearts Club Comic: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury


Stephan Pastis - 2004
    Piggy's Lonely Hearts Club Comic, the first Pearls Before Swine treasury-supersized for your enjoyment.But this is no ordinary cartoon treasury. Like the influential Beatles album that inspired the book's title, Sgt. Piggy is full of surprises. In addition to collecting all of the Pearls cartoons that appeared in BLTs Taste So Darn Good and This Little Piggy Stayed Home, cartoonist Stephan Pastis takes readers on a VIP backstage tour of one of the most successful comic strips in newspapers today. In Sgt. Piggy, Pastis explains the genesis of Pearls (hint: it didn't begin at an artist's easel), why he was initially reluctant to show it to newspaper syndicates (and the surprising reason he changed his mind), the unexpected responses from readers to his work, and which Pearls strips worked and which ones didn't (and how he would have corrected the ones that didn't). The result is a rare and revealing glimpse into the world of Rat, Pig, Goat and Zebra. Full of humor and insight, sardonic asides and unexpected truths, Sgt. Piggy's Lonely Hearts Club Comic is a book that comics fans everywhere can enjoy anytime-even when they're 64!

The Punisher MAX, Vol. 1


Garth Ennis - 2004
    But first, he's got an offer for Frank that he'd better not refuse. Get ready for blazing bullets, bloodbaths, and bold beginnings! In "Kitchen Irish," Frank embarks on a deadly mission that pits him against two rival gangs when a bomb explodes in a Hell's Kitchen pub. One thing is certain: The Punisher won't be pulling his punches! Collect Punisher (2004) #1-12 and Punisher: The End.

Runaways: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1


Brian K. Vaughan - 2004
    In Teenage Wasteland, the Runaways find a kindred spirit in a daring young stranger and welcome him into their fold. But will this dashing young man help the teenagers defeat their villainous parents... or tear them apart? Plus: who do you send to catch a group of missing, runaway teenage super-heroes? Marvel's original teen runaway crimefighters, Cloak and Dagger, make their first major appearance in years In The Good Die Young, the world as we know it is about to end, and the Runaways are the only hope to prevent it Our fledgling teenage heroes have learned how their parents' criminal organization began, and now they must decide how it should end. As the Runaways' epic battle against their evil parents reaches its shocking conclusion, the team's mole stands revealed, and blood must be shed. Which kids will still be standing when the smoke finally clears? Collects Runaways (Vol.1) #1-18.

Astonishing X-Men, Volume 1: Gifted


Joss Whedon - 2004
    But when breaking news regarding the mutant gene unexpectedly hits the airwaves, will it derail their new plans before they even get started?Collecting: Astonishing X-Men 1-6

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life


Bryan Lee O'Malley - 2004
    He's 23 years old, he's in a rockband, he's "between jobs" and he's dating a cute high school girl. Nothing could possibly go wrong, unless a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. Will Scott's awesome life get turned upside-down? Will he have to face Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in battle? The short answer is yes. The long answer is Scott Pilgrim, Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life

DC: The New Frontier, Volume 1


Darwyn Cooke - 2004
    The Cold War has begun. The Age of the Superhero is in decline. But where are the heroes of tomorrow? DC: The New Frontier recounts the dawning of the DCU's Silver Age from the perspective of those brave individuals who made it happen. Encounter "keepers of the flame" including Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, who survived the anti-hero sentiment of the Cold War, as well as eager newcomers like test pilot Hal Jordan and scientist Barry Allen, poised to become the next generation of crimefighters.Cooke, a master storyteller, writes and illustrates this landmark tale, a must-have for fans of the DCU and all lovers of powerful tales of heroism!Collecting: DC: The New Frontier 1-3 & the three extra pages originally seen only in Wizard Magazine

In the Line of Duty


Ed Brubaker - 2004
    with or without Batman's help.Meet Commissioner Akins and his Major Crimes Unit commander Maggie Sawter (fresh from Metropolis). Keeping the streets safe are detectives Renee Montoya, Crispis Allen and others newly introduced to readers. The race is on to stop Mister Freeze while solving a crime before the Caped Crusader intervenes.Collects issues #1-5.

Opus: 25 Years of His Sunday Best


Berkeley Breathed - 2004
    From one of the funniest minds - and pens - of our time this title is a collection of the very best of Opus, everyone's favourite maladjusted penguin.

Teen Titans, Vol. 1: A Kid's Game


Geoff Johns - 2004
    Plus, an introduction by Johns and Profile Pages from TEEN TITANS/OUTSIDERS SECRET FILES #1!

McSweeney's #13


Chris WareArt Spiegelman - 2004
    Contibutors include Daniel Clowes, Gary Panter, Charles Burns, Art Spiegelman, Ben Katchor, Kim Deitch, Adrian Tomine, Joe Sacco, Seth, Joe Matt, Chester Brown, Kaz, and many others.

Krazy and Ignatz, 1933-1934: Necromancy by the Blue Bean Bush


George Herriman - 2004
    Most of these strips have not seen print since originally running in Hearst newspapers over 70 years ago. Each volume is edited by the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum's Bill Blackbeard. Krazy & Ignatz 1933-1934 will be a hot-baked brickbat of a volume, adance with nearly two full years of the Sunday Krazy Kat (Herriman did not use color until 1935), snug between multiple pages of Herriman extras, not the least of which include an introduction by Blackbeard, a new "Debaffler" page, and a stunning layout front and back and throughout by the inimitable Chris Ware! Krazy Kat is a love story, focusing on the relationships of its three main characters. Krazy Kat adored Ignatz Mouse. Ignatz Mouse just tolerated Krazy Kat, except for recurrent onsets of targeting tumescence, which found expression in the fast delivery of bricks to Krazy's cranium. Offisa Pup loved Krazy and sought to protect "her" (Herriman always maintained that Krazy was gender-less) by throwing Ignatz in jail. Each of the characters was ignorant of the others' true motivations, and this simple structure allowed Herriman to build entire worlds of meaning into the actions, building thematic depth and sweeping his readers up by the looping verbal rhythms of Krazy & Co.'s unique dialogue.

The Way Home


Andy Runton - 2004
    But despite his kindness, he seems to frighten would-be friends away before they even give him a chance, just because he's an owl. That all changes, though, once Owly meets Wormy. Like Owly, Wormy is in need of a good friend, too -- someone who can be counted on for a helping hand, a good laugh, and a great adventure!Through a unique blend of words and symbols, Owly can be read by the youngest readers, and is a great introduction to graphic novels!

Get Your War On 2


David Rees - 2004
    Now, David Rees returns to do it once again--just in time for the most anticipated election in years. He's taking on the Bush Doctrine, Operation Iraqi Freedom, the war in Afghanistan, tax cuts, the 2004 campaign--and much, much more!

MUTTS Sunday Afternoons: A MUTTS Treasury


Patrick McDonnell - 2004
    . . all of these can make for captivating cartoons. But it's the artist who can take the simple, keep it simple, and still tell a story who really stands apart from the crowd. Patrick McDonnell, creator of Mutt's Mooch the cat and Earl the dog, is such a cartoonist.The quickest way to absorb McDonnell's mastery of his art is to pick up this third Mutts treasury, in which frame after frame and strip after strip he consistently displays his wit, cleverness, and ability with a pen. Mutts is the perfect way to escape into what appears to be an easygoing, carefree world. But just beneath the character's banter and endearing mannerisms are the universal concerns of animals and people alike. The cartoonist's spare style and gentle humor invite readers to fill out the frames with their own imaginations.Mutts, syndicated by King Features since 1994, enjoys a circulation of more than 500 daily newspapers. Nationally McDonnell has received awards ranging from Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year to Newspaper Comic Strip of the Year, and worldwide he has received such praise as being named the Swedish Academy of Comic Art's Best International Comic Strip Artist. This strip's a winner the world around.

Strangers in Paradise: Pocket Book 1


Terry Moore - 2004
    She's smart, independent and very much in love with her best friend, Francine. Then Katchoo meets David, a gentle but persistent young man who is determined to win Katchoo's heart. The resulting love triangle is a touching comedy of romantic errors until Katchoo's former employer comes looking for her and $850,000 in missing mob money. As her idyllic life begins to fall apart, Katchoo discovers no one can be trusted and that the past she thought she left behind now threatens to destroy her and everything she loves, including Francine.

Once Upon a Time


Serena Valentino - 2004
    Featuring the first 6 issues, as well as some other spookirific surprises, including an introduction by Tommy Kovac (Skelebunnies, Stitch and Autumn) as well as a guest page by Jhonen Vasquez and other SLG creators.

She-Hulk, Volume 1: Single Green Female


Dan Slott - 2004
    Enjoys clubbing, dishing with gal-pals and saving the universe. Ready to put old issues behind and make a fresh start. Contact Jen W. at Avengers Mansion. That's right...everyone's favorite Jade Giantess, She-Hulk, has returned for tons of fun, both on and off the field of battle!Collecting: She-Hulk 1-6

Doonesbury: The Long Road Home


G.B. Trudeau - 2004
    As a medevac chopper swoops down, the wounded Guardsman hears "Not your time, bro. Not today," and his remarkable healing journey begins.Thousands of U.S. soldiers have suffered grievous wounds in Iraq, but only one of them is a Doonesbury character. The Long Road Home: One Step at a Time chronicles seven months of cutting-edge cartooning, during which B.D.-and readers of the strip-got an up-close schooling in a kind of personal transformation no one seeks.Deprived not only of leg but also his ubiquitous trademark helmet, B.D. survives first-response Baghdad triage, evacuation to Landstuhl's surgeon-rich environment, and visits by innumerable morale-boosting celebs, both red and blue in hue. He's awed in turn by morphine, take-no-guff nurses, his fellow amps, and his family, including the daughter who hand-delivers succor, one aspirin at a time.Transferred stateside to Walter Reed's Ward 57, B.D. is inspired by the wisdom of physiatrists, warmed by the dedicated ministrations of real-life fellow-amp heroes like Jim the Milkshake Man, and dazzled by high-tech prostheses that cost more than luxury cars. He's annoyed by his own bouts with self-pity, by the bedside awkwardness of friends more comfortable regarding his stump from e-mail distance, and by Zonk's unwavering commitment to supplementing his care with organic meds.As their journey continues, B.D. and Boopsie are cared for by Fisher House, a home-next-door-to-the-hospital for families whose lives revolve around therapy. B.D. finds himself painfully engaged in building his future, one sadistically difficult physical therapy session at a time. "To Lash, Helga, and the Marquis!" toast the band of differently limbed brethren, raising their glasses to their PT masters as they prepare for reentry into the ambulatory world.From rebuilding tissue to rebuilding social skills to rebuilding lives, B.D's inspiring, insightful, and darkly humorous story confirms that it can take a village, or at least a ward, to raise a soldier when he's gone down. "Thank you for getting blown up," offers one of B.D.'s visiting players. Replies the coach, "Just doing my job."

The Complete Strangers In Paradise, Volume 3, Part 6


Terry Moore - 2004
    including Katchoo. Will this be the end of a great friendship and a new life for Francine? Will David be there to pick up the pieces for Katchoo? Or will this be a whole new beginning for the SiP gang? This premium hardcover edition also includes the story of David Qin's astonishing past life and how he came to know our girls as well as Freddie's close encounter of the disastrous kind with Katchoo. Strangers in Paradise is the entertaining and poignant look at the relationship of two young women and the twists and turns that life throws at them. Francine and Katchoo are high-school best friends who are reunited when Francine comes back to town after years away from her hometown. David is their new friend entangled in their complicated lives. From creepy ex-boyfriends and insensitive bosses to the reality of AIDS and underworld prostitution, you never know what will come up next - but you can always count on laughing and crying at the same time.

Identity Crisis


Brad Meltzer - 2004
    The most talked-about and successful miniseries of 2004 the story that has created ripple effects throughout the DC Universe for many years to come is now available in a stunning hardcover volume! New York Times best-selling author Brad Meltzer (GREEN ARROW) teams with artists Rags Morales & Michael Bair (WONDER WOMAN) and cover artist Michael Turner (SUPERMAN/BATMAN) to deliver an all-too-human look into the lives of super-heroes, and the terrible price they pay for doing good.When the spouse of a JLA member is brutally murdered, the entire super-hero community searches for the killer, fearing their own loved ones may be the next targets! But before the mystery is fully solved, a number of long-buried secrets rise to the surface, threatening to tear apart and divide the heroes before they can bring the mysterious killer to justice.Bonus features include extended commentary by Meltzer and Morales, the rest of the creative team talking about their favorite moments, a look at Morales's sketchbook and more!

Sardine in Outer Space, Volume 3


Emmanuel Guibert - 2004
    Yes, that's right--it's the Space Boxing Championship and the fearless cousins must go head to head with Supermuscleman, Chief Executive Dictator of the universe, shrunken for disguise but just as muscley.And so begins another day in the life of Sardine. . . .

Tony Millionaire's Sock Monkey: Uncle Gabby


Tony Millionaire - 2004
    After spending thousands of Sunday afternoons gazing at his grandfather’s collections of old newspaper comics, he picked up a pen and started drawing monkeys with striped tails and top hats. He now writes and draws the comic book Sock Monkey as well as the weekly strip "Maakies," which has won him three Eisner Awards and has been animated for Saturday Night Live. He lives in Pasadena, California with his wife and daughters.

With Liberty and Recess for All


Aaron Williams - 2004
    Issues #0 through #5.

Why Are You Doing This?


Jason - 2004
    The protagonist, a moody twenty-something wallowing in depression after a breakup with his long-time girlfriend, finds himself drawn into a paranoid's worst nightmare after his best friend is murdered and the blame is pinned on him. With the help of a single mother who spontaneously throws in her lot with him (not to mention her precocious daughter), he sets out to clear his name. Soon new relationships are forged, dark secrets from the past are revealed, and the real killer comes back into the picture... with a vengeance.

Tim Sale: Black And White - Revised And Expanded


Tim Sale - 2004
    This new, revised, and expanded edition of the original sold-out and out-of-print Tim Sale: Black and White previously published by Active Images features never-before-seen art from the illustrator of NBC's Heroes!

The Best of Gahan Wilson


Gahan Wilson - 2004
    Not content to chronicle just a collection of cartoons, this retrospective includes Wilson's wry, illustrated essays on such topics as childhood fears and human tourists in space. A unique creator, Wilson straddles humor markets ranging from art enthusiasts to sci-fi junkies with offbeat aplomb.

Eerie Archives, Vol. 1


Archie GoodwinDonald Norman - 2004
    Eerie magazine, like its killer kin Creepy, features work from many of the masters of comics storytelling. For fans of spectacular spookiness, mind-bending sci-fi, and astonishing artwork, the Eerie Archives library is a must have!

Batman: Harley and Ivy


Paul Dini - 2004
    But first, Harley has to convince Ivy that she has what it takes to be a villain in Gotham City! This volume features a fantastic 3-chapter story written by Paul Dini and illustrated by Bruce Timm, the award-winning producers of Batman: The Animated Series, plus a story by superstars talents Judd Winick and Joe Chiodo.Collects the miniseries Batman: Harley and Ivy #1-3; Harley and Ivy: Love on the Lam, and a story from Batman: Gotham Knights #14.

The Beast Trilogy


Enki Bilal - 2004
    In the year 2023, the man called Nike is a memory expert who remembers his every experience with perfect clarity. For Nike, this is more of a curse than it is a blessing, because the pain of his past never fades. Follow Nike as he uses his gift to try to understand his link to two children, orphaned beside him in war-torn Yugoslavia, as well as his violent and chaotic present, where manipulation of the truth remains a powerful tool for governments worldwide. In this world, a man who can remember everything is invaluable to whoever controls him.

The Book of Schuiten


François Schuiten - 2004
    The art of Francois Schuiten of Cities of the Fantastic fame.

Worst 1


Hiroshi Takahashi - 2004
    The main character, Hana Tsukishima, a freshman at Suzuran, comes from a very distant countryside in Japan. Although gentle and warm hearted, Hana is a tough fighter who has no problem facing several opponents at one time. His ambition is to claim the bancho status (the head) and unify/bring order to Suzuran by defeating whomever comes in his way with the support of both his friends and upperclassmen who are drawn to his strength and character. At other times, he must fight thugs from rival schools and gangs. This series is what is traditionally called a Yankee Manga (Yankee having a different meaning and pronunciation than in English), which typically involves delinquent young men and thugs filled with action-packed fighting sequences but also presented with a lot of humor.

Babel Vol. 1


David B. - 2004
    The stunning two-color artwork evokes an extraordinary range of influences, from the boldness of primitive art to the lyricism of Winsor McCay A boy's world is shattered by his brother's epileptic seizures and his growing awareness of turmoil in warring countries. The stunning two-color artwork evokes an extraordinary range of influences, from the boldness of primitive art to the lyricism of Winsor McCay.

The Transformers More Than Meets the Eye Official Guidebook, Volume 1: Aerialbots to Pretender Monsters


Brad Mick - 2004
    This volume is packed with so many facts and figures on Transformers that you'll need a memory upgrade!

Tales of the Vampires


Joss Whedon - 2004
    Not to be missed is Buffy's rematch with Dracula and Angel's ongoing battle with his own demons. Wrapped in a haunting cover by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, these diverse tales flesh out the history and the world of Joss Whedon's unforgettable creations and fill the void left by the Buffy TV show better than any other writers ever could.

Lackluster World


Eric Adams - 2004
    Consequently, he no longer has patience for the lackluster world he lives in and devises a plan to change it... before it changes him.

Chris Ware


Daniel Raeburn - 2004
    Combining innovative comic book art, hand lettering, and graphic design, Ware’s uniquely appealing work is characterized by ceaseless experimentation with narrative and graphic forms. The publication of his novel Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth in2000 inspired a near avalanche of praise from critics and general readers alike. This book is the first to explore the life and work of Chris Ware. Daniel Raeburn looks closely at Ware’s career, work methods, and artistic innovations. Born in Omaha in 1967, Ware introduced the character Jimmy Corrigan in a full-page strip he began writing for the Chicago tabloid New City. Combining six years’ worth of the strips, Ware created the best-selling novel named after Jimmy that spans an Irish-American family’s life in Chicago from the Civil War to the present. For its experiments in graphic form—including pull-out, three-dimensional inserts—and its non-chronological narrative, the novel earned numerous honors, among them the Guardian First Book Award, presented for the first time to a comic book. For this volume Raeburn interviewed Chris Ware for many hours to make fascinating connections between Jimmy Corrigan’s fictional life and the life of his creator. Raeburn discusses the scope of Ware’s career, including his drawings for New City, the New Yorker, and his own comic book, The Acme Novelty Library. AsRaeburn shows, Ware’s unique art form extends beyond the world of graphic novels into the broader worlds of literature, graphic art, and popular culture, and challenges traditional definitions of all three.

The Batman Adventures: Shadows and Masks


Dan Slott - 2004
    These two volumes, inspired by the hit Batman Adventures TV show, feature Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Catwoman, and a host of the most famous villains ever to permeate pop culture. Age 12+.

Boy Trouble: 10th Anniversary Issue


Robert KirbyAndy Hartzell - 2004
    Jennifer Camper's protagonist spends a whirlwind day with his juvenile delinquent dyke sister; Ivan Velez, Jr. chronicles the heartaches of the well-endowed; and Craig Bostick captures the bittersweet angst of teen rock'n'roll boys. Then, Kelly and Leanne Franson explore alienating bar life; Kirby and underground legend G.B. Jones present an encounter with an artsy adolescent; and Andy Hartzell offers a whimsical and beautifully drawn 12-page fantasy. Also featured: Cavalcade of Boys creator Tim Fish, Anonymous Boy, C. Bard Cole, and Michael Fahy.

Women of Ukiyo-e Coloring Book


Ming-Ju Sun - 2004
    This collection of 30 charming illustrations, adapted from authentic woodblock prints, features lovely ladies in elegant kimonos playing musical instruments, boating, dancing, strolling, and engaged in other activities.

Got Your Nose


Ragnar - 2004
    Will it end in the ultimate stink-off? Got Your Nose! Who hasn't played this with a parent, or grandparent? It's a part of our collective childhood.

Rabbithead


Rebecca Dart - 2004
    We follow the singular story of RabbitHead and her faithful steed, Horsey, though many harrowing experiences, only to have the story branch off into different directions and run simultaneously to each other, introducing a plethora of characters, some goofy, some deadly serious. At the end, the storylines collide and the comic comes full circle, to end where it begins

Wonder Woman: Amazon Princess


Nina Jaffe - 2004
    Now the threat of evil is spreading over Mortals' World, and the Amazons must send an ambassador to teach the ways of peace. A great contest will be held to choose this champion. Eager to prove herself, Diana enters the competition in disguise. But is she the fastest, the strongest, and the bravest? And will her mother, the queen, permit Diana to go to Mortals' World to fulfill her true destiny -- as Wonder Woman?

Angry Youth Comix, Vol. 1: What're You Lookin' At?


Johnny Ryan - 2004
    The book includes several stories featuring Ryan's signature creation, Loady McGee (and straight-man Synus O'Gynus), a misanthropic, acne-scarred hustler who finds himself in scams that would make Wimpy proud, and responds to almost everything with an endless stream of wisecracks, puns, and X-rated double entendres. Loady's ridiculous crackpot schemes—opening a brothel staffed by mutant lizards, get-rich-quick inventions like the "Pussy Hunter 6000," founding a comic book school, and selling used toilet paper passed-off as new, just to name a few—serve as perfect comic set-ups, and Ryan's art is crammed with visual gags and existential asides that brings to mind the great Will Elder (MAD magazine).Needless to say, this is not politically-correct stuff, nor is it for children. Ryan's in-your-face humor spares no prisoners, as these stories indicate: "Hipler," a riotous satire of our "extreme makeover" era and celebrity culture; "Islamic Terrorist Spring Break," in which Ryan seemed to be single-handedly trying to counterbalance all of the self-censorship going on in the early post-9/11 media; and "Ku Klux Kuties," which tests just how far the usual doe-eyed visual tropes can be taken and still make you go, "Aww." The book also includes Ryan's most infamous strip to-date, "The Gaytriot," which caused a PC-stir when it was included in The Comics Journal's otherwise-sincere and serious "Cartoonists on Patriotism" volume in 2002.The collection also features such absurdist classics as "Weight-Lifting Gophers," "The Deaf Chef," "Dolemite's Masters of the Universe," "1976," and a selection of single-panel gag cartoons titled "Johnny Ryan's 'Pukin's' and 'Spit-Ups.'" Find out why Ryan's work has been cited as a favorite of such luminaries as the late Edward Gorey, Simpsons producers George Meyer and Dana Gould, and cartoonists like Joe Sacco, Daniel Clowes, Peter Bagge, Coop, Gary Panter and many others.

The Legend of Wild Man Fischer


Dennis P. Eichhorn - 2004
    First serialized in Dennis P. Eichhorn's Real Stuff in the early '90s, this collection, written by Eichhorn and rendered by artist J.R. Williams, also contains an all-new episode illustrated by Holly K. Tuttle, as well as essays by Williams and outsider-music maven, Irwin Chusid, and over a dozen previously unpublished photos of Mr. Fischer.

Strange (2004-2005) #1


J. Michael Straczynski - 2004
    Stephen Strange is on a collision course with destiny -- a journey that will force him to search the deepest corners of his own heart...and the outer reaches of the cosmos, culminating in him becoming the Sorcerer Supreme!

The Punisher, Vol. 3


Garth Ennis - 2004
    

Historien om en mor


Peter Madsen - 2004
    Graphic novel; a story about a mother who tries to overcome Death to save her son, retold and illustrated by Peter Madsen.