It’s no secret that comics fans can be particular about their favorite characters, creators, and even publishers. Savvy retailers trade on that passion by suggesting readalikes—appealing to the readers of series ranging from Archie to Hellboy. Below are new releases that comics retailers are putting in readers’ hands this season.
Tom Marquet, Partners and Son
(Philadelphia)
Michael D. Kennedy (Drawn & Quarterly)
“Kennedy deftly shifts tones and visual styles from story to story in this terrific collection. We’ve carried his self-published series, Mint, in our stores for as long as we’ve known it existed, and we’re excited to see this beautiful book find a larger audience.”
Greg and Fake (Fantagraphics)
“If you enjoy Archie and Love and Rockets but think they’re lacking in breezy violence, Santos Sisters is for you. A pitch-perfect recreation of an Archie spin-off from an alternate universe where teenage hijinks end with improbably large laser guns.”
Tedward
Josh Pettinger (Fantagraphics)
For readers who dig Dan Clowes “but thought Wilson was far too regular a guy, Pettinger reinvigorates the grand comics tradition of following a weird guy around by imbuing Tedward with not only an unerring sense of style but also an underlying certainty about his choices, however bizarre their results.”
Jenn Haines, The Dragon
(Guelph, Ontario)
Scott Chantler (Papercutz)
“This reissue of an exceptional all-ages fantasy series was a longtime bestseller for me until it went out-of-print. It’s high fantasy with a strong heart and gorgeous designs. I’m super excited to get it on my shelves again, right next to Chantler’s current ongoing series, Squire & Knight. It is perfect for fans of fantasy epics like Amulet, Zita the Spacegirl, Cat’s Cradle, and Scales & Scoundrels.”
Kevin Plummer, Books Are Magic
(Brooklyn)
Dogsred
Satoru Noda (Viz)
“Dogsred follows an almost reverse Happy Gilmore plot of a figure skater who finds his way onto a hockey team for the first time. It’s fantastic because you learn with Rou, the protagonist, how exactly hockey is played. The action is fantastic as well. If you liked manga like Haikyuu, Eyeshield, or Slam Dunk, look out for it.”
Precious Metal
Darcy Van Poelgeest and Ian Bertram (Image)
“If you liked Hellboy or Step by Bloody Step by Si Spurrier, I would definitely keep my eye out for Precious Metal, a dystopian story with characters racing to unlock mysteries. Bertram’s extremely unique art stands out.”
Alain Park, Howling Pages
(Chicago)
Anders Nilsen (Pantheon)
“Nilsen’s work is exquisite, and Tongues has been serialized in oversize self-published installments for the past few years, which we’ve more or less kept in stock since we opened. The work is so beautiful that it’s been easy to hook customers in, and it’s been a lot of people’s introduction not only to Nilsen’s work but indie comics.”
