What to look out for in July 2004
by Dana Tillusz & Chad Boudreau

10. Follow Me Closely
Oni Press
by Daniel Krall

I just love the premise of this graphic novel. Julian has a huge trust fund coming his way, but he chooses to throw it all away to run off with his stepmother. So pissed off is Julian's dad that he sets gunmen on their trail. Julian ends up killing one-half of the assassin duo, at which point the surviving member gives him an ultimatum: assume the dead assassin's identity or be killed.

What I also like about this book is the art. It has a cool, retro feel much like the work of Chynna Clugston-Major. Krall got a lot of buzz for his art on the Oni miniseries One Plus One, which debuted back in 2002. With Follow Me Closely we're going to find out if he can write as well as he can draw. (CB)

9. Usagi Yojimbo #77
Dark Horse Comics
by Stan Sakai

Inspector Ishida returns! Never has there been a character that appeared in a Usagi Yojimbo issue that has taken such a strangle hold on its readers. Inspector Ishida and his small, but diligent police force, are attempting to track down a master thief when an influential merchant is murdered. Read Usagi Yojimbo and see why Stan Sakai's title has been around for over one hundred issues-- it might just change the way you look at comic books. (DT)

8. Jim Woodring's Pupshaw & Pushpaw #1
International Import
by Jim Woodring

Fans of Jim Woodring's Frank series will not want to miss out on this 40 page children's picture book. This book is a wordless tale starring the crazy critters, Pupshaw and Pushpaw from the surreal world created out of a madman's mind for Frank to live in. If you couldn't bring yourself to read Woodring's other work because you feared for your sanity, this hardcover should help you ease into his mindset. Jim Woodring's Pupshaw & Pushpaw is a Japanese import and will be hard to track down. (DT)

7. Sof' Boy #3
Drawn & Quarterly
by Archer Prewitt

It has only taken six years for this issue to find the light of day. Not too bad if you look at other small press books and their untimely publishing schedules. Sof' Boy returns in a 24-page, full colour issue featuring all new adventures with the filth of Chicago. Sof' Boy will wrestle with giant rats and rabid dogs, talk to diseased prostitutes and make friends with street corner drug dealers. This comic series has always promoted fun for the whole family. Don't miss out! (DT)

6. Carnet de Voyage
Top Shelf Productions
by Craig Thompson

I loved Craig Thompson's first graphic novel Good-bye, Chunky Rice, but his sophomore effort, Blankets, has sat on my shelf unread for almost six months. I want to read it, but I'm a little nervous. I've heard and read some of the praise Thompson has been given for his opus, but I've also heard negative things from friends whose opinions I trust. I want to enjoy Blankets, but what if I don't?

Regardless, Craig Thompson is a superstar in the small press world so I've got to mention his latest effort. Carnet de Voyage is a travelogue of sketches and diary entries Thompson made while he spent three months traveling through Barcelona, the Alps, France and Morocco to research his next graphic novel, Habibi. (CB)

5. The Goddess of War
Alternative Comics
by Lauren Weinstein

The Goddess of War is Lauren Weinstein's follow-up to her acclaimed, Xeric award-winning graphic novel, Inside Vineyland. In The Goddess of War, we follow the title character through her early days as the best Valkyrie to her present position as a goddess. She's bored deciding on the outcomes of wars on Earth so she leaves her isolated plane of existence to visit the world she resides over. There on the mortal plane she finds love.

This has nothing to do with this particular comic, but Weinstein is in a band called Flaming Fire (they actually have a song called Goddess of War) and she teaches kids and adults cartooning. That's pretty cool. (CB)

4. Scrapbook: Uncollected Work 1992 - 2004
Drawn & Quarterly
by Adrian Tomine

Adrian Tomine is best known for his ongoing Optic Nerve series, but have you ever wondered what other comic goodies he has created over the years? This book, my friends, is the answer to that question. Weighing in at more than 200 pages, Scrapbook is a collection of ALL of Tomine's short, non-Optic Nerve comics from the past twelve years. As if that wasn't enough to give any fan a heart attack, this book also features an assortment of Tomine's illustrations from magazines such as Pulse, Details, Giant Robot, The New Yorker, Esquire and George. (CB)

3. American Elf: The Collected Sketchbook Diaries of James Kochalka
Top Shelf Productions
by James Kochalka

I'm all about these complete, large graphic novels. The Collected Sketchbook Diaries of James Kochalka does just that-- collecting over five years (October 26, 1998 to December 31, 2003) worth of Kochalka's daily, online diary strip. This book will be 520 pages, including an additional 32 full-colour pages of supplementary work. But beware uneducated consumer, you may learn more about James Kochalka than you probably ever wanted to know. It's essential reading nonetheless. (DT)

2. Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return
Random House
by Marjane Satrapi

I initially noticed Persepolis after it sold more than 100,000 copies of the first hardcover. I wondered why I hadn't heard about it before. I suppose the five different languages it was published in were not ones I used on a regular basis. Marjane Satrapi follows up with her critically acclaimed graphic novel with The Story of a Return. This autobiographical narrative follows Satrapi after she leaves her parents and her homeland country, Iran, for a better place to live. (DT)

1. Eightball #23
Fantagraphics Books
by Daniel G. Clowes

Holy smokes! This is the first new issue of Eightball published in more than two years! Fans of this long running small press excellence are going to be all smiles in the days leading up to the moment this comic hits the shelves because it's another much anticipated, over-sized, full colour piece of beauty. This self-contained issue introduces us to Death-Ray, a superhero from the swinging 70s. You've probably seen the movie Ghost World. That was based on Clowes' work. Now pick up his damn comics. (CB)