September 18, 2013

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Links: Retro Batman, New Archie

Archie

Johanna Draper Carlson looks at a new format for Archie Comics that’s part digest, part graphic novel. Here’s the history of the British children’s comic The Phoenix, which is a family operation, told in comics format. Nice! CBR interviews writer Jeff Parker about his new all-ages, digital-first comic Batman ’66, which is inspired by the [...]

Sunday Smurfology: Matt. Murray on the color of Smurfs

Smurfs_Anth_Page_1

Our weekend preview is something a little different today: Papercutz sent along Smurfologist Matt. Murray’s introduction to The Smurfs Anthology, and it addresses a very interesting question: The color of Smurfs. Specifically, the color of Smurfs in the first Smurf comic, The Purple Smurf, which was published in French as “The Black Smurf.” Why the [...]

Sunday Smurfology: Matt. Murray on the color of Smurfs

Smurfs_Anth_Page_1

Our weekend preview is something a little different today: Papercutz sent along Smurfologist Matt. Murray’s introduction to The Smurfs Anthology, and it addresses a very interesting question: The color of Smurfs. Specifically, the color of Smurfs in the first Smurf comic, The Purple Smurf, which was published in French as “The Black Smurf.” Why the [...]

Preview: Archie Comics Spectacular: School Daze

ArchieComicsSpectacular_SchoolDaze-0

Just in time for summer vacation, Archie has another big comics collection, this one about school—well, it’s much more fun to read about it than to actually be there, right? Archie Comics Spectacular: School Daze is on sale in comics shops today and will pop up everywhere else in the next two weeks. (Do they [...]

Links: Dragon Ball creator’s new manga comes to the U.S.

Links: Dragon Ball creators new manga comes to the U.S.

Writer Jim Ottoviani and artist Maris Wicks talk about Primates, which interweaves the stories of the three primatologists Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas, with insights into both their research and their private lives. Then the two creators go over to Comic Book Resources for a chat with reporter Alex Dueben. Akira Toriyama, creator [...]

Exclusive Preview: Superman Family Adventures, vol. 1

SMFAv1_CV copy

We loved Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani’s Superman Family Adventures here at Good Comics for Kids, and we were sad when it was cancelled. The good news is that this collected edition, Superman Family Adventures, vol. 1, is already available in comics stores and will be in bookstores starting July 2. This handy collection brings [...]

Preview: Betty & Veronica Double Digest #213

BettyAndVeronicaDoubleDigest_213-0

Here’s a quick look at the comic the kids will be nagging you to buy at the supermarket checkout this week: Betty & Veronica Double Digest #213, with the usual mix of newer and classic stories. Check out the preview; catalog info follows if you want to know more. BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #213 [...]

Cover Reveal: Archie’s Even Funnier Kids’ Joke Book

Archie Joke Book 2

If you liked Archie’s Giant Kids’ Joke Book, well, we have good news for you: Archie’s Even Funnier Kids’ Joke Book will be out in October, and we have the first look at the cover, as well as all the solicit information. Read on! ARCHIE’S EVEN FUNNIER KIDS’ JOKE BOOK Get ready for even more [...]

Preview: Archie Fun ‘n’ Games Activity Book

Activity Book

One of the great delights of summer, back when I was a kid, was sprawling out somewhere with a Big Book o’Fun that was filled with comics, coloring pages, and pencil puzzles. Archie Comics is bringing that back with the Archie Fun ‘n’ Games Activity Book, almost 200 pages of puzzles and activities, all featuring [...]

Links: Archie goes to the movies!

Adventure Time 1

ICv2 has the BookScan graphic novel numbers for May, which tell us, among other things, that manga is not yet dead, since Naruto topped the chart and Sailor Moon was in fourth place. BookScan measures book sales in retail bookstores and also includes online retailers such as Amazon. Meanwhile, Playing with Fire, the first Adventure [...]

Preview: Ariol, vol. 2: Thunder Horse

Ariol 2_Page_1

Ariol may not be as well known as the Smurfs, Ninjago, or Nancy Drew, but when I was at the Papercutz booth at Book Expo America last week, people couldn’t leave this book alone. It’s no problem to pick it up with book 2, as the stories are self-contained, but after reading it, you’ll probably [...]

Preview: Jughead Double Digest #193

JGDD_1-32-0

Hey Jughead fans, this one’s for you! Jughead Double Digest #193 is out in comics shops tomorrow (and everywhere else in two weeks) but we have the first few pages here! Here’s a preview, and the issue info is at the bottom of the post. Enjoy! JUGHEAD DOUBLE DIGEST #193 Thump! Jughead has a hidden [...]

Spring Graphic Novels: From Science to Superheroes

How to Fake a Moon Landing

Nothing is quite as it seems in this spring’s graphic novels, from the bad science in Darryl Cunningham’s How to Fake a Moon Landing to the reality-show superheroes in Tiger & Bunny. But there are some familiar faces as well, with a new Star Trek story, a graphic-novel version of Stephenie Meyer’s New Moon, and the return of the classic Disney game manga Kingdom Hearts. There’s plenty here to keep readers sprawled in their hammocks all summer long.

Preview: Primates

Primates_13

We love Jim Ottaviani’s science graphic novels here at Good Comics for Kids, and his latest one is a real treat. Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas, illustrated by Maris Wicks, is a delightful book that distills the story of the three women who went out and studied primates [...]

Preview: Adventure Time #16

AdventureTime_16_cbrpreview_Page_01

Here’s a look at Adventure Time #16, fresh out this week from BOOM! Studios! As always, this issue is written by Ryan North and illustrated by Braden Lamb and Shelli Paroline, and if you have been dragging your feet on this series, this is a good issue to start with, as it kicks off a [...]

Preview: Jinx, vol. 2: Little Miss Steps

Pages from JinxVol2_LittleMissSteps_Page_1

Li’l Jinx started out as a gag comic that ran in different Archie Comics publications; the one-page stories revolved around the rather strong-willed Jinx, her father, and a small coterie of friends. The comics were funny but not particularly deep. In writing the teen-age Jinx stories, J. Torres has kept the humor but given the [...]

Links: Kevin Keller’s first kiss

comics-kevin-keller

Archie Comics’ openly gay character Kevin Keller gets his first kiss in August—and provokes the ire of a Riverdale mom, whose reaction Veronica catches on video. Archie writer and artist Dan Parent discusses the storyline at USA Today, and Archie co-CEO Jon Goldwater notes that the remarkable thing about Kevin’s kiss is not that he [...]

Cover Reveal: Jughead Double Double Digest #196

JugDDDigest#196

The Archie Comics folks have something new going on this year: Each of their Double Digests will double in size, to 320 pages, for one of their releases. Chris Sims took a look at the Archie Double Double Digest for Comics Alliance, and it’s a handful. As I’m a big Jughead fan, I was thrilled [...]

Preview: Lego Ninjago, vol. 7: Stone Cold

Ninjago 7_Page_1

The saga of Lego Ninjago continues—no, really!—as our little interlocking-block warriors face off against the evil Stone Warriors in Lego Ninjago, vol. 7: Stone Cold, out this Wednesday in finer bookstores everywhere. Here’s a preview to get …

Links: A Flurry of First Second books

Astronaut Academy Re-Entry

Dave Roman discusses his new release, Astronaut Academy: Re-Entry, the sequel to his first Astronaut Academy book. Here’s a sample to get you started: I pitched “Astronaut Academy” to First Second as two books, because a futuristic space station school is filled with endless possibilities. Book 1 establishes a world where people (like characters in [...]