In Odd We Trust
by Dean Koontz
from Del Rey
“Meet a young man named Odd . . . who helps the dead get even."
From the infinite imagination of #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz comes the suspenseful graphic-novel debut of a natural-born hero with a supernatural twist.
Odd Thomas is a regular nineteen-year-old with an unusual gift: the ability to see the lingering spirits of the dead. To Odd, it’s not such a big deal. And most folks in sleepy Pico Mundo, California, are much more interested in the irresistible pancakes Odd whips up at the local diner. Still, communing with the dead can be useful. Because while some spirits only want a little company . . . others want justice.
When the sad specter of a very frightened boy finds its way to him, Odd vows to root out the evil suddenly infecting the sunny streets of Pico Mundo. But even with his exceptional ability–plus the local police and his pistol-packing girlfriend, Stormy, backing him–is Odd any match for a faceless stalker who’s always a step ahead . . . and determined to kill again?
Fruits Basket, Volume 20
by Takaya Natsuki
from TokyoPop
Kagura and Kazuma hotly discuss Tohru liking Kyo. With Kagura's forceful encouragement, will Tohru be able to muster up the courage to tell Kyo how she feels? Meanwhile, Ren is determined to get her hands on Akito's mystery box--even if it means killing for it!
Warriors: The Rise of Scourge (Warriors)
by Erin Hunter
from TokyoPop
When kittypet Tiny crosses paths with some wild forest cats defending their territory, he is left with scars—and a bitter, deep-seated grudge. As his reputation grows among the strays and loners that live in the dirty brick alleyways of Twolegplace, he changes his name to Scourge and puts everything about his old life behind him—except his deadly desire for revenge.
Naruto, Volume 30
by Masashi Kishimoto
from VIZ Media LLC
Naruto is a ninja-in-training with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He's got a wild sense of humor, but Naruto is completely serious about his mission to be the world's greatest ninja!
Sakura takes her place at the front of the fight to save Naruto. With Granny Chiyo at her side, she must battle Sasori, who can create golems from the undead. But Granny Chiyo is a puppet master too -- only it could be Sakura's strings she's pulling!
Drawing Words and Writing Pictures: Making Comics: Manga, Graphic Novels, and Beyond
by Jessica Abel
from First Second
Learn to create your own comics with Drawing Words and Writing Pictures, a richly illustrated collection of 15 in-depth lessons that cover everything from crafting your story to lettering and laying out panels.
Take a Look Inside Drawing Words and Writing Pictures
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Three Panels That Move Beyond the Grid
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| This page from Mike Mignola's Hellboy is a beautiful example of creating rhythm and mood. Read more... | In Blankets, Craig Thompson tells his story through dramatic and unexpected page layouts. Read more... | In David B.'s Epileptic, the shape and orientation of the panel reinforce the storytelling. Read more... |
"A gold mine of essential information for every aspiring comics artist. Highly recommended." --Scott McCloud
Drawing Words and Writing Pictures is a course on comic creation – for college classes or for independent study – that centers on storytelling and concludes with making a finished comic. With chapters on lettering, story structure, and panel layout, the fifteen lessons offered – each complete with homework, extra credit activities and supplementary reading suggestions – provide a solid introduction for people interested in making their own comics. Additional resources, lessons, and after-class help are available on the accompanying website, www.dw-wp.com.
Warriors: Warrior's Return (Warriors)
by Erin Hunter
from TokyoPop
Graystripe and Millie have finally found ThunderClan's old territory, but Twoleg monsters have devastated the forest and Graystripe fears that all of his Clanmates have been killed or captured by Twolegs. Millie insists that they keep looking, and an old friend helps point the two cats on the path that the Clans followed many moons ago.
But danger still lurks around every turn, and Graystripe worries that he and Millie are lost on an impossible journey.
Let's Find Pokemon! Special Complete Edition: Find Pokemon SP ED
by Kazunori Aihara
from VIZ Media LLC
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels
by Scott Mccloud
from Harper Paperbacks
Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics was published in 1993, just as "Comics Aren't Just for Kids Anymore!" articles were starting to appear and graphic novels were making their way into the mainstream, and it quickly gave the newly respectable medium the theoretical and practical manifesto it needed. With his clear-eyed and approachable analysis--done using the same comics tools he was describing--McCloud quickly gave "sequential art" a language to understand itself. McCloud made the simplest of drawing decisions seem deep with artistic potential.
Thirteen years later, following the Internet evangelizing of Reinventing Comics, McCloud has returned with Making Comics.
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Designed as a craftsperson's overview of the drawing and storytelling decisions and possibilities available to comics artists, covering everything from facial expressions and page layout to the choice of tools and story construction, Making Comics, like its predecessors, is also an eye-opening trip behind the scenes of art-making, fascinating for anyone reading comics as well as those making them. Get a sense of the range of his lessons by clicking through to the opening pages of his book, including his (illustrated, of course) table of contents (warning: large file, recommended for high-bandwidth users):
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Scott McCloud tore down the wall between high and low culture in 1993 with Understanding Comics, a massive comic book about comics, linking the medium to such diverse fields as media theory, movie criticism, and web design. In Reinventing Comics, McCloud took this to the next level, charting twelve different revolutions in how comics are generated, read, and perceived today. Now, in Making Comics, McCloud focuses his analysis on the art form itself, exploring the creation of comics, from the broadest principles to the sharpest details (like how to accentuate a character's facial muscles in order to form the emotion of disgust rather than the emotion of surprise.) And he does all of it in his inimitable voice and through his cartoon stand–in narrator, mixing dry humor and legitimate instruction. McCloud shows his reader how to master the human condition through word and image in a brilliantly minimalistic way. Comic book devotees as well as the most uninitiated will marvel at this journey into a once–underappreciated art form.
Naoki Urasawa's Monster, Vol. 1
by Naoki Urasawa
from VIZ Media LLC
Brilliant doctor Kenzo Tenma risks his reputation and promising career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy. Unbeknownst to him, this child is destined for a terrible fate. Conspiracies, serial murders, and a scathing depiction of the underbelly of hospital politics are all masterfully woven together in this compelling manga thriller.
Blade of the Immortal Volume 19: Badger Hole (Blade of the Immortal (Graphic Novels))
by Hiroaki Samura
from Dark Horse
The time for reconnaissance, planning, and waiting is over! Rin and Doa, desperate to be reunited with their friends (or even reassured that they're alive), take their first bold steps in penetrating Edo Castle's defenses and foiling Kagimura's foul "immortality" experiments! A trip to an old doctor, a chance encounter with a high-strung peasant, and an appearance by a strange, all-new Itto-ryu warrior combine to make this volume an important series of encounters in persistent Rin's quest to find Manji and Isaku-and in her own growth as a warrior! The "Badger Hole" is a dank passageway that leads to an underground tunnel system beneath Edo Castle. With some new skills and tricks, these two young ladies brave darkness and the promise of death to run headlong towards Kagimura's cruel prisons, where Manji hangs drugged and helpless!
