Best of
Sequential-Art

2005

Invincible: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1


Robert KirkmanBrian Michael Bendis - 2005
    Get in on the ground floor! This massive hardcover collects the first 13 issues of Robert Kirkman's Eisner-Nominated super-hero, along with all the extras from the first three trade paperback volumes and even more on top of that! Invincible: The Ultimate Collection, Volume 1 is a can't-miss for anyone who's wanted to start reading Invincible, but needed an easier way to start from the beginning.Collects issues #1–13.

The Contract With God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue


Will Eisner - 2005
    It marked the birth of the modern graphic novel and the beginning of an era when serious cartoonists could be liberated from their stultifying comic-book format.More than a quarter-century after the initial publication of A Contract With God, and in the last few months of his life, Eisner chose to combine the three fictional works he had set on Dropsie Avenue, the mythical street of his youth in Depression-era New York City.As the dramas unfold in A Contract With God, the first book in this new trilogy, it is at 55 Dropsie Avenue where Frimme Hersh, the pious Jew, first loses his beloved daughter, then breaks his contract with his maker, and ends up as a slumlord; it is on Dropsie Avenue where a street singer, befriended by an aging diva, is so beholden to the bottle that he fails to grasp his chance for stardom; and it is there that a scheming little girl named Rosie poisons a depraved super’s dog before doing in the super as well.In the second book, A Life Force, declared by R. Crumb to be "a masterpiece," Eisner re-creates himself in his protagonist, Jacob Shtarkah, whose existential search reflected Eisner’s own lifelong struggle. Chronicling not only the Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression but also the rise of Nazism and the spread of left-wing politics, Eisner combined the miniaturist sensibility of Henry Roth with the grand social themes of novelists such as Dos Passos and Steinbeck.Finally, in Dropsie Avenue: The Neighborhood, Eisner graphically traces the social trajectory of this mythic avenue over four centuries, creating a sweeping panorama of the city and its waves of new residents—the Dutch, English, Irish, Jews, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans—whose faces changed yet whose lives presented an unending "story of life, death, and resurrection."The Contract With God Trilogy is a mesmerizing, fictional chronicle of a universal American experience and Eisner’' most poignant and enduring literary legacy.

The World's Greatest Super-Heroes


Paul Dini - 2005
    These classic works for all ages feature the iconic DC characters in a unique storytelling format that combines aspects of both comics and picture books. Also included are several pages of promotional art, preliminary art and thumbnails, art done for DC Direct product, model-to-finished-painting comparisons, reflections by the book's creators, and much more! This landmark volume also features an introduction by noted book designer and author Chip Kidd, a new painted cover by Alex Ross, and an 8-page foldout of the JLA: LIBERTY And JUSTICE poster featuring every member of the JLA by Ross.

The Mythology Class: A Graphic Novel


Arnold Arre - 2005
    It was originally published by the author under his own Tala Comics Publishing in four issues in 1999, and was collected into a special edition by Adarna House in September of 2005.The story centers on University of the Philippines Anthropology student Nicole Lacson, a girl who holds a passionate love for Filipino myths passed down from her grandfather. Together with a motley assortment of companions, she meets the mysterious Mrs. Enkanta and races to recapture enkantos (supernatural creatures) who have escaped and are causing havoc in the human world. The story also references historical and mythological Filipino heroes like Kubin, Sulayman and Lam-ang.(from http://en.wikipilipinas.org/)

The Punisher MAX, Vol. 1: In the Beginning


Garth Ennis - 2005
    But first, he's got an offer for Frank that he'd better not refuse. Get ready for blazing bullets, bloodbaths, and bold beginnings! Collects Punisher MAX #1-6.

House of M #1


Brian Michael Bendis - 2005
    Will Magneto help his daughter or use her powers to his own benefit? Starring the Astonishing X-Men and the New Avengers!!

I Can't Wait


Davide Calì - 2005
    As various as the tree in Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, the thread represents the emotional bond between husband and wife, the bit of color on a bleak day, the bow in her hair, the wave good-bye. It pushes and pulls, it gets tangled and taut, it embraces and secures, it gets yanked, rent, and lets go. All the momentous events and the heart of ordinary life—the joy, the sadness—are captured in 150 words and 25 two-page illustrations, executed in simple black lines and red embroidery thread. This virtuoso performance by an award-wining artist and his collaborator—both masters of the minimal—is at once profound, witty, warm, and wise. This is a gift book for any occasion.

The Batman Chronicles, Vol. 1


Bill Finger - 2005
    Presenting an exciting new way to experience the rich history of the Dark Knight in an affordable trade paperback collection of every Batman adventure, in color, in chronological order!Batman Chronicles, Volume 1 reprints Batman stories from DETECTIVE COMICS #27-37 and BATMAN #1, featuring the earliest adventures of the Dark Knight by Batman creator Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Gardner Fox, Jerry Robinson and Sheldon Moldoff.

Cinema Panopticum


Thomas Ott - 2005
    Ott plunges into the darkness with five new graphic horror novelettes: "The Prophet," "The Wonder Pill," "La Lucha," "The Hotel," and the title story, each executed in his hallucinatory and hyper-detailed scratchboard style and running between 16 to 20 pages. The first story in the book introduces the other four: A little girl visits an amusement park. She looks fascinated, but finds everything too expensive. Finally, behind the rollercoaster she eyeballs a small booth with "CINEMA PANOPTICUM" written on it. Inside there are boxes with screens. Every box contains a movie; the title of each appears on each screen. Each costs only a dime, so the price is right for the little girl. She puts her money in the first box: "The Prophet" begins. In the film, a vagrant foresees the end of the world and tries to warn people, but nobody believes him. They will soon enough. In the second film, "The Wonderpill," a short-sighted man initially goes blind from some pills his doctor gave him, but soon the blindness wears off and he finds they accord quite a view. "La Lucha," the third story, introduces a Mexican wrestler who fights against death himself. In a typical Ott twist, he wins and loses at the same time. The final story, "The Hotel," depicts a traveler who goes to sleep in what seems to be an otherwise empty hotel. His awakening is the stuff of nightmares... Ott's O. Henry-esque plot twists will delight fans of classic horror like The Twilight Zone and Tales From the Crypt, or modern efforts like M. Night Shamalayan's films; his artwork will haunt you long after you've put the book down.

Stray Bullets, Vol. 2: Somewhere Out West


David Lapham - 2005
    Here, two young lovers on the run from the Mob will learn that love is more than just another four-letter word. A once-beautiful, now-broken woman will let the demons of her past pull her down into a thick soup of depravity and death. A betrayed little girl running from everything will decide to help someone and be scarred forever. And a big lug with big dreams will achieve fame and glory and then throw it all away. These are just some of the people whose tales will stick in your gut for the rest of your days.

Dragon Fire


Michael Anthony Steele - 2005
    Introducing the Winx Club, bewitchingly beautiful teenage fairies with a passion for fashion and a flair for magic!This book features a comic panel design of screen grabs from episode 110 of Winx Club in which the strength of Bloom's powers are revealed.

Blood+, Vol. 01


Asuka Katsura - 2005
    Horrible nightmares are the only hints at the violent life she once led, but her past is about to catch up with her and awaken the merciless warrior within. Chiropterans -- powerful shape-changing creatures who need and crave blood -- threaten humanity once more, and a mysterious organization called the Red Shield needs Saya's deadly sword skills and mysterious powers to aid in the fight against these beasts. As her submerged abilities begin to reawaken and as she seeks to regain her memories, Chiropteran warriors are guided by a mysterious leader to threaten Saya and her loved ones. Asuka Katsura's manga series successfully expands upon the original Production I.G./Aniplex feature, delivering moments of jarring violence and thrilling action in a tale that spans several centuries.

Madrox: Multiple Choice


Peter David - 2005
    Jamie Madrox, setting up a detective agency in the heart of Mutant Town. Jamie Madrox, a peaceful Shaolin priest. Which is the real Jamie Madrox? In this noir-esque thriller of a limited series, it's possible that even Madrox doesn't know anymore. Peter David, acclaimed for his run on X-Factor, reunites several of that title's most popular and whimsical characters - Jamie Madrox, Wolfsbane, and the aptly named Strong Guy - and sends them on an adventure of light and darkness. Featuring the incredibly moody pencils of Pablo Raimondi.

Best Of American Splendor


Harvey Pekar - 2005
    But how did a former file clerk from Cleveland and up with an Oscar nomination? The story begins in 1976, when Harvey began publishing his autobiographical, slice-of-downtrodden-life comic book, illustrated by a who's who of underground comic artists, including R. Crumb, Frank Stack, Gary Dumm and Joe Sacco. Titan is proud to present our third book from Harvey, an all-new compilation of his best work, featuring 100 per cent previously uncollected material.

Ultimate Spider-Man, Volume 6


Brian Michael Bendis - 2005
    Why are both heroes too concerned with their own lives to work together? Plus: Johnny Storm realizes that despite his new flame powers and fame on the horizon, he still doesn't have a high-school diploma. And where does the young New Yorker enroll? Why, none other than a certain Queens high school that also counts one Peter Parker - Spider-Man - as a student.Collecting: Ultimate Spider-Man 60-71

The Incal: The Epic Journey


Alejandro Jodorowsky - 2005
    John Difool, a low class detective in a degenerate world, finds his life turned upside down when he discovers an ancient artifact called "The Incal."--Difool's adventures will bring him into conflict with the galaxy's greatest warrior, The Metabaron, and will pit him against the awesome powers of the Technopriests. Can an ordinary man survive such an epic battle? Suggested For Mature Readers.

Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad


Michael Martin - 2005
    Written in graphic-novel format.

Hey, Class President!, Volume 01


Kaori Monchi - 2005
    Chiga-kun wonders how he, being such an intelligent individual, can be so unwillingly taken with a boy who is so country and simple... but watch out! The president has a temper!

Fantastic Four By Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo Omnibus


Mark Waid - 2005
    Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo deliver some of the most daring and humorous adventures the Fantastic Four have ever seen! Giant bugs! Living equations! Johnny Storm, CEO! Exploding unstable molecules! The secret behind the Yancy Street Gang! And Doctor Doom's plans are truly unthinkable! Victor will push the FF beyond their limits - and when his actions lead to the death of one of their own, they'll storm the gates of Heaven to save their beloved teammate! Plus: Spider-Man and the Human Torch take on Hydro-Man! But with the Fantastic Four's reputation in tatters, is associating with a misunderstood wall-crawler really wise? And when Manhattan finds itself surrounded by a fleet of miles-high alien spacecraft, it's time for the Fantastic Four to do what they do best!COLLECTING: FANTASTIC FOUR (1998) 60-70, 500-524, 500 DIRECTOR'S CUT

My Dinner With Lulu


John Stanley - 2005
    Critically acclaimed and widely regarded as one of the most classic comics ever published, Little Lulu is an all-ages treasure, with stories funny and fresh enough to stand the test of time.

Kyla May Miss. Behaves Live Onstage


Kyla May - 2005
    When her school announces its annual talent show, Kyla May seizes her chance to imagine life as a pop superstar!  Get a backstage pass as Kyla tests her musical skills, finds her singing voice, and discovers just how far her imagination (and a little hard work) can take her!

Wish You Were Here No. 1: The Innocents


Gipi - 2005
    "The Innocents," which includes two narrative tracks in different drawing styles, is a contemplative, beautifully drawn graphic novelette about these three characters' meeting. Future issues will focus on other members of this group of friends, a bit like Jaime Hernandez's "Locas" stories, with supporting characters stepping into the spotlight as former "lead" characters become part of the background...

I Want to Be Naughty


Mei Sakuraga - 2005
    He hides out on the rooftop, it's his special illegal place. He finds Mikado Shirahane on the roof one day. He's the hottest, smartest guy in school, and now he's in Towa's Xanadu...why would Towa find himself falling for him? Perhaps it's the passionate kisses and longing looks from the school stud...!?

Constantine: The Hellblazer Collection


Jamie DelanoWilliam Simpson - 2005
    John Constantine has been to Hell and back... literally. Using his knowledge of the occult, he wages a war against the demons among us. With the help of a female police officer, Constantine finds himself face to face with the agents of darkness called the 'First of the Fallen'. Will mankind survive, and will John and his trademark trenchcoat escape from the demons' clutches intact?... Also featuring three pivotal issues of Hellblazer which introduce the character of John Constantine - issues #1, #27, and #42 - this is really one you don't want to miss.

Tsubasa Character Guide


CLAMP - 2005
    Spanning the first seven graphic novels, this thrilling guide includes intriguing details about the characters, worlds, and mysteries of Tsubasa, including info on the popular crossover CLAMP characters who always seem to appear in the Tsubasa universe! It also features a brand-new Tsubasa short story, an interview with CLAMP writer Ageha Ohkawa, games and quizzes, a fan section, pre-production artwork, and more. This is an essential book for any fan of the Tsubasa manga series and anime!

Serenity: Those Left Behind #2


Joss Whedon - 2005
    

Big Top


Rob Harrell - 2005
    . . to the exciting world of Big Top! Rob Harrell's three-ring comic strip has already packed the house with fans eager for his hilarious take on the circus and those who bring it to life. The circus and its colorful cast-led by 10-year-old Pete and his happily reformed performing bear, Wink-are a perfect metaphor for life. It's not always what happens on the surface, Big Top reminds us, but what takes place backstage that delivers the lessons and the humor. Pete and Wink keep plenty of odd company, including Kingston, coolest king of the jungle; Stucco, a mute clown who still manages to make his point; Manfred, the bookish monkey; Dusty, the wisecracking tell-it-like-it-is trained poodle; Andrea, the new acrobat girl who's caught Pete's eye; and Hairy Mary the Bearded Lady, a mother figure to them all.Take this crew on the road and you get an endless array of situations and relationships, care and impatience, honesty and intolerance. It's like one big Big Top family . . . one that welcomes all readers for the mere price of a ticket.

Mark Schultz: Various Drawings Volume One


Mark Schultz - 2005
    fans of Hannah Dundee and Schultz's gorgeous women will be delighted new pieces were created especially for this book! Stunning new images from Xenozoic Tales fill much of the volume private commissions previously unpublished cover for SubHuman, an oversized gatefold of a breathtaking adventure scene, and amazing pieces from recent projects!

Trans Terra: Towards a Cartoon Philosophy


Tom Kaczynski - 2005
    The author's journey begins in the frigid wastelands of contemporary consumer culture. Like a surreal HMS Beagle, Trans Terra meanders through time and space exploring archipelagos real and imagined. Prominent stops include Soviet Siberia, Communist Poland, Plato's Atlantis, nineteenth-century New York, and Sir Thomas More's Utopia. Arriving on the polluted shores of collapsing global civilization, Tom K glimpses the faint light of utopia beyond the veil of Apocalypse. Taking cue from Salvador Dali's paranoiac-critical method, the author unearths improbable connections between thinkers as disparate as Ignatious Donnelly, Alvin Toffler, Rem Koolhaas, Slavoj Žižek, and many others. Translated into several languages, Trans Terra is a comic book manifesto for the post-capitalist-crisis world.Tom Kaczynski (a.k.a. Tom K) is an Ignatz-nominated cartoonist, designer, illustrator, writer, teacher, and publisher. His comics have appeared in Best American Nonrequired Reading, Mome, Punk Planet, The Drama, and many other publications. Beta Testing the Apocalypse, a collection of his Mome stories, was published by Fantagraphics Books in July 2012. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his partner Nikki and their two black cats.

The Lute String


Jim Woodring - 2005
    

Serenity: Those Left Behind #3


Joss Whedon - 2005
    

The Sky Queen


Mamang Dai - 2005
    

Batman: Face the Face


James Robinson - 2005
    It's One Year Later...and who is the mysterious vigilante who's been murdering Gotham's highest-profile villains? Find out in this new collection featuring the 8-part "Face the Face" saga from DETECTIVE COMICS #817-820 and BATMAN #651-654! Batman must uncover the murderer's identity — even as he finds himself in the unlikely role of protecting some of his oldest foes!

Manga Bible Story-japanese: Comic Book Style Bible


Noboru Yamaguchi - 2005
    Pronunciation marks. Japanese-style manga B&W illustrations. Ideal for host families of Japanese foreign exchange students and home-stay guests ages 8-25.

Amazing Agent Luna Vol 1


Nunzio DeFilippis - 2005
    Grown in a lab from the finest genetic material, she has been trained since her birth fifteen years ago to be the U.S. government's ultimate espionage weapon. But now, she is given an assignment that will test her abilities to the max--high school!Her mission: to pose as a high school student at Nobel High and uncover a sinister plot engineered by her arch nemesis, Count Von Brucken. But the one thing she has not been trained to handle her own feelings. Especially when she starts making friends, rivals, and crushing big time on bad boy Jonah, son of the evil Von Brucken himself!

Herman Classics: Volume 3


Jim Unger - 2005
    With an economy of line and a wry, nonchalant humour, this popular strip reveals a hilarious cast of bandaged hospital staff, hapless criminals, zealous sales clerks, and frustrated cavemen. This third volume is a premium quality collector’s edition. It contains more than 500 coloured versions of the funniest Herman comics ever. Fifty full-page Sunday spreads have been colourized for this volume only. The edition also contains comments and insights from the award-winning cartoonist.

Spider-Man/Human Torch: I'm with Stupid


Dan Slott - 2005
    Follows the adventures of wisecracking friends Spider-Man and the Human Torch, from high school to the present day, as they battle various villains.

Radiata Stories: The Epic of JACK


Fujikawa Yura - 2005
    People throughout the land sing of its glory. Sharing the world with the humans are the fairy creatures. Dwarves, elves, goblins, and others all lead their different lives. Although they are not exactly friends, humans and nonhumans live side-by-side in harmony.In a small village, a young man named Jack lives with his sister. Dreaming of becoming a great knight like his father before him, he ventures forth one day to join the famous Royal Radiata Knights. But the fragile peace between humans and fairy creatures threatens to shatter... where exactly does Jack's destiny lie? This is Jack's Side of the story. Based on the homonymous game.

X-Factor (2005-2013) #1


Peter DavidRenato Arlem - 2005
    Drawn together in the heart of District X, this rag-tag band of heroes has a lot of answers to find, and fast!

Marvel 1602 #1: New World (Marvel 1602: The New World)


Greg Pak - 2005
    Witness the manifestation of this change with the startling 1602 origins of The Hulk and Spider-Man!

Theodor Seuss Geisel: The Early Works of Dr. Seuss, Vol. 1


Dr. Seuss - 2005
    Dr. Seuss) had a career in illustration that varied widely before he wrote his first juvenile book. Early Works Volume 1 is the first of a series collecting political cartoons, advertisements, and various images drawn by Geisel long before he had written any of his world-famous books.

Freshmen #1 (of 6)


Hugh Sterbakov - 2005
    Or Quaker, the Amish kid who created earthquakes with his belly. You'd get a kid who can talk to plants-and is stalked by the plant who loves him. You'd get a fearless leader who desperately wants superpowers, but is left out of the bonanza. Co-created by Austin Powers and Buffy star Seth Green and written by newcomer Hugh Sterbakov, Freshmen is an uproarious combination of superpowers and college...with a talking beaver!

The Backwards Folding Mirror #2


Jesse Moynihan - 2005
    Later on we encounter scrambled porn channels, out of body experiences, hairy bird men, and lessons in thinking ahead.

Glamor Girls of Don Flowers


Don Flowers - 2005
    His cartoons evoked the art of Russell Patterson and Hank Ketcham, and nowhere was this more evident than in his quintessential single-panel pin-up cartoon, the aptly named "Glamor Girls": Whether blondes or brunettes, showgirls or housewives, Flowers rendered his comely protagonists with equal aplomb. A close look at Flowers' body of work reveals that he was really an illustrator playing cartoonist. He was equally skilled with the brush and the pen, and was also highly regarded by his fellow artists for his expert spotting of blacks. Flowers boasted "about the finest line ever to be bequeathed to a cartoonist," wrote Coulton Waugh in his classic history, "The Comics," "It dances; it snaps gracefully back and forth; the touches related." While Flowers spent nearly a quarter of a decade on "Glamor Girls," it wasn't until the 1960s that he finally broke free of Russell Patterson's influence and established a more modern style that was uniquely his own. This volume collects the best of those cartoons, and showcases Flowers at the height of his skill. "Don Flowers' Glamor Girls" also features a foreword by cartoon legend Sergio Aragones and an introductory essay by editor Alex Chun.