help a pamphlet peeper become a book buyer
February 12, 2010 9:16 AM   Subscribe

What's the best way to keep on top of new graphic novel releases?

I've finally decided to give up on individual comics and wait for the trade, doing my part to wreck the industry. So now that I'm not going to be at the comics store every week, how do I keep on top of when things come out? The New Comics Release List doesn't offer a list of just graphic novels, that I can see.

I'm (at least potentially) interested in anything -- collections and original work, any genre. Good review sites to help me filter what's new, once I know what it is, would be welcome, too.
posted by Zed to Media & Arts (9 answers total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
 
The best way is to make friends with your Local Comic Shop Owner, who will potentially be awesome.

The second best way that I can think of is to subscribe to Previews. I flip through the store's copy every month and it's pretty comprehensive.
posted by lydhre at 9:39 AM on February 12, 2010


For a fairly exact list of new GN releases, new releases of new printings, this list at Diamond Comics will be fairly definitive for products distributed through their network. Titles with a "GN" next to them are graphic novels.
posted by mikeh at 9:39 AM on February 12, 2010


For what it's worth, "TP" is "trade paperback" which is another branding/type of graphic novel, if you're looking for collected works.
posted by mikeh at 9:40 AM on February 12, 2010


I've found some interesting books via Graphic Novel Reporter.
posted by maurice at 9:45 AM on February 12, 2010


Best answer: Chris Marshall of The Collected Comics Library podcast maintains a schedule of upcoming trade paperbacks.
posted by turaho at 9:57 AM on February 12, 2010


Best answer: The American Library Association published every two weeks a magazine that reviews (among other things) new graphic novels. Chances are your local library has it, although you might have to ask for it. Usually, only the librarians read it -- although there's no reason they wouldn't let you see it (no secret comments about patrons). It's called Booklist. There's an online version called (ta-da!) Booklist Online, but it's very expensive.
posted by feelinggood at 10:13 AM on February 12, 2010


I use the Comixology iPhone app to track my pull list, including graphic novels. I think it cost .99 cents or maybe $1.99. If you go to the comixology.com site and register you can "subscribe" books by various publishers and those will appear in your pull list, which is also emailed to you every Wednesday morning. They aren't always accurate about what's coming out every week, but they tend to list stuff that hasn't been published yet rather than miss stuff that has been, so it's a reasonably useful way to keep track.

And, yeah, give your Local Comics Shop proprietor a list of titles, artists, and writers to keep an eye out for.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:26 PM on February 12, 2010


Best answer: The comics sites that I go to get my comics news is ComicsAlliance.com, ComicBookResources.com, and Jog The Blog.

Comics Alliance has a weekly feature called, "Don't Ask, Just Buy It!" that goes over some of the best new releases and gives a short description of each book. Sometimes they'll list a few floppies, but most of the time the column focuses on TPB and GN.

Comic Book Resources posts a like of different publishers solicitations and the Robot 6 blog does some really awesome reviews.

Although not as popular and a bit more amateur, Jog The Blog does some of the finest reviews in comics. He's thorough and detailed. He tends to be more indie oriented, while the other two sites are more superhero-ie and mainstream.

Please feel free to PM me if you want some more suggestions!
posted by Olive Oil at 4:25 PM on February 12, 2010


Response by poster: I am so glad I asked this. Thanks, everyone.
posted by Zed at 6:00 PM on March 10, 2010


« Older How can I manage student, teacher and class data...   |   Whodunnit? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.