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Big Kids


Michael DeForge - 2016
    It follows a troubled teenage boy through the transformative years of high school as he redefines his friends, his interests, and his life path. When the boy's uncle, a police officer, gets kicked out of the family's basement apartment and transferred to the countryside, April moves in. She's a college student, mysterious and cool, and she quickly takes a shine to the boy. The boy's own interests quickly fade away: he stops engaging in casual sex, taking drugs, and testing the limits of socially acceptable (and legal) behavior. Instead, he hangs out with April and her friends, a bunch of highly evolved big kids who spend their days at the campus swimming pool. And slowly, the boy begins to change, too.Eerie and perfectly paced, DeForge's Big Kids muses on the complicated, and often contradictory, feelings people struggle with during adolescence, the choices we make to fit in, and the ways we survive times of change. Like Ant Colony and First Year Healthy, Big Kids is a testimony to the harshness and beauty of being alive.

Heat


Jean Wei - 2018
    As 'Red' adjusts to life on the farm herding hens, collecting fruit, weeding plants, and running errands, many questions remain: Exactly why is Red here? What's eating at Auntie Ann? And, most pressingly, can a fire-demon cook an egg simply by holding it?

Big Questions


Anders Nilsen - 2011
    This beautiful minimalist story, collected here for the first time, is the culmination of ten years and more than six hundred pages of work that details the metaphysical quandaries of the occupants of an endless plain, existing somewhere between a dream and a Russian steppe. A downed plane is thought to be a bird and the unexploded bomb that came from it is mistaken for a giant egg by the group of birds whose lives the story follows. The indifferent, stranded pilot is of great interest to the birds—some doggedly seek his approval, while others do quite the opposite, leading to tensions in the group. Nilsen seamlessly moves from humor to heartbreak. His distinctive, detailed line work is paired with plentiful white space and large, often frameless panels, conveying an ineffable sense of vulnerability and openness.Big Questions has roots in classic fables—the birds and snakes have more to say than their human counterparts, and there are hints of the hero’s journey, but here the easy moral that closes most fables is left open and ambiguous. Rather than lending its world meaning, Nilsen’s parable lets the questions wander where they will.

Motor Crush, Vol. 1


Brenden Fletcher - 2017
    By night, she cracks heads of rival gangs in brutal bike wars to gain possession of a rare, valuable contraband: an engine-boosting "machine narcotic" known as Crush.Collecting: Motor Crush 1-5

The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys


Gerard Way - 2011
    Today, the followers of the original Killjoys languish in the Desert while BLI systematically strips citizens of their individuality. As the fight for freedom fades, it’s left to the Girl to take up the mantle and bring down the fearsome BLI! Collects The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys #1–#6 and “Dead Satellites” from Free Comic Book Day 2013.

If 'n Oof


Brian Chippendale - 2010
    This newest volume is a departure from his last work, Maggots, and from his first book, Ninja, which elicited the following assessment of the artist's style by Salon.com's Douglas Wolk: "Chippendale's howling hyperspeed attack on every page with his pen is the kind of manifestation of pure style that has more to do with the contemporary visual art scene than with traditional comics and their ideals of clarity and representation." If and Oof are a Laurel and Hardy-esque duo who suffer a series of misadventures amidst Chippendale's frenetic landscapes on their simple quest to just survive, eat, pay rent and avoid confrontation. Comedy and horror ensue in this fast-paced trip through Chippendale's unconscious. The artist's most accessible work to date, If 'n Oof is replete with the frenzied line work and concise, witty dialogue for which he has become known. This first release of all new material since 2005 is a must for Lightning Bolt fans and graphic-novel aficionados, and proves more than approachable to those new to Chippendale's oeuvre.

Monsters


Ken Dahl - 2009
    Following his acclaimed collection of short comics, Welcome to the Dahlhouse, Ken Dahl cements his status as one of the best cartoonists of his generation with this brutally honest account of disease and self-acceptance.

Skibber Bee Bye


Ron Regé Jr. - 2000
    To me, he is unquestionably one of ‘the greats.'" —Chris WareSkibber Bee ByeRon Regé, Jr., creates his own visual poetry that sets him apart from other cartoonists as one of the most original artists to enter the medium in the past decade. His storytelling is neither linear nor altogether accessible; however, his recognizable thin line and cute characters draw you into a dreamlike, sensitive fantasy world that, as odd as it seems, is entirely realistic.

Iceman, Vol. 1: Thawing Out


Sina Grace - 2018
    He grapples with his gay identity and his family and how to build a life and legacy he can be proud of...and become the best Iceman he can be! But, whether it's seeking his ex-girlfriend Kitty Pryde's advice on meeting guys, or delivering his latest news to his folks, it won't be easy - and that's before a gang of revenge-seeking Purifiers comes calling! And, still learning to be comfortable in his own skin, Bobby will meet someone who's perhaps too comfortable in his - the son of Wolverine himself, Daken! COLLECTING: ICEMAN (2017) 1-5

Lost Girls


Alan Moore - 2006
    Now, like us, these three lost girls have grown up and are ready to guide us again, this time through the realms of our sexual awakening and fulfillment. Through their familiar fairy tales they share with us their most intimate revelations of desire in its many forms... revelations that shine out radiantly through the dark clouds of war gathering around a luxury Austrian hotel.Drawing on the rich heritage of erotica, Lost Girls is the rediscovery of the power of ecstatic writing and art in a sublime union that only the medium of comics can achieve. Exquisite, thoughtful, and human, Lost Girls is a work of breathtaking scope that challenges the very notion of art fettered by convention. This is erotic fiction at its finest.Similar to DC's Absolute editions of Watchmen and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Lost Girls will be published as three, 112-page, super-deluxe, ovesized hardcover volumes, all sealed in a gorgeous slipcase. It will truly be an edition for the ages.

Distance Mover


Patrick Kyle - 2014
    Earth can move incredible distances in his improbable Distance Mover, a wondrous vehicle that reflects the fantastic world it traverses. He, and his young art-star protégée Mendel, explore culture-rich crystalline cities, challenge the mighty Council of the Misters, try to overcome the all-conquering Ooze, and much more!Patrick Kyle lives and works in Toronto, Ontario. He is the co-founder and editor of Wowee Zonk, a contemporary comic book anthology featuring up-and-coming international artists. He has been previously nominated for Doug Wright and Ignatz awards for his comic book series Black Mass and Distance Mover.

Batwoman: Elegy


Greg Rucka - 2010
    In this first tale, Batwoman battles a madwoman known only as Alice, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, who sees her life as a fairy tale and everyone around her as expendable extras! Batwoman must stop Alice from unleashing a toxic death cloud over all of Gotham City -- but Alice has more up her sleeve than just poison, and Batwoman's life will never ever be the same again. Also, witness the origin of Batwoman in the shocking and tragic story "Go," in which young Kate Kane and her family are kidnapped by terrorists, and Kate's life - and the lives of her family - will never be the same! Detective Comics #854–860.

Love And Rockets: New Stories #8


Gilbert Hernández - 2016
    Will Hopey actually show up, or will Maggie have to go it alone? Hell, will anybody show up? Lots of old friends and enemies make appearances in the second chapter of this latest Locas epic. Also, what happened to Princess Animus? The film may have broke but the movie was most definitely not over. All this and Tonta, too! Meanwhile, Gilbert serves up the second and concluding part of “The Magic Voyage of Aladdin,” which establishes the rivalry of its two stars, Fritz and Mila. Who’s Mila, you ask? And to make matters worse, who are the Fritz lookalikes that are coming out of the woodwork? You’ll have to read Love and Rockets: New Stories No. 8 to find out!

Driven by Lemons


Joshua W. Cotter - 2009
    Won't you be his neighbor?

Mirror, Window: An Artbabe Collection


Jessica Abel - 1996
    Collecting the first four issues of her Artbabe series from Fantagraphics and more, Mirror, Window proves Abel to be one of the brightest lights in comix to watch as we proceed into the next century. Abel's stories are peppered with hipsters, tattoos, piercings, trendy haircuts, and cutting-edge fashion, but don't let the generational trappings fool you. Her intuitive ear for dialogue and characterization has made Artbabe a hit amongst people of all ages, especially women. Mirror, Window collects several short stories focusing on the infinite ways that regret, insecurity, and euphoria manifest in relationships.