Hi folks. As you might be aware, Captain America #25 (released Wednesday May 07th) was kind of a big deal. We tried our best to keep copies in stock for as long as possible, and even had some until about 6pm on Thursday, long after most shops had sold out. But, we’re out right now.

According to Marvel, the reorder that we placed for more copies of #1, first printing, will be arriving on March 21st. We might have as few as 25 copies more, or as many as another hundred or so. What we’re saying is, essentially, don’t bother with eBay, because there will be more copies in the market soon (and probably a second printing before the end of the month as well) even if they aren’t from us.

We try very hard to make sure that everyone gets a fair crack at books like these (which explains our limit of 2, and then 1, per customer) and will be doing so if and when we get more copies in, on a first-come, first-served basis. So yeah, don’t bother e-mailing or calling or asking us to hold one for you. We’ll post here as soon as we have an idea of how many more copies are coming and when, and we’ll continue to provide them to you as fairly as possible.

Thanks very much for your understanding, and your patience.

Best,

– Chris @ The Beguiling

It looks like, as was the case with SIN CITY and HELLBOY before it, Dark Horse Comics may or may not have copies of 300 by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley available when the movie debuts next month. What this means is that many stores will not have copies of the 300 HC in stock for the next month or so, or when the movie arrives. And if you’re excited about or even interested in this film, you’re REALLY gonna wanna read the graphic novel first.

Luckily, we have that. 300 I mean. We have that.

We have that now, we will have that for the next few months, and we can even sell you two or three if you and your friends ALL want a copy. We saw this coming and stocked up. I’m not saying we’re smarter or anything, I’m just saying, 300? We have that.

– Chris @ The Beguiling
P.S.: No, there is not a softcover, and no, there is not likely to be a softcover due to the unique shape and size of the book. Stranger things HAVE happened but I’m betting against it for the time being.
P.P.S.: We also have The Art of 300 in stock, as well as more-or-less every Frank Miller graphic novel in print (and a few that aren’t).

This week saw the arrival of a few more cool new books, and we thought we’d share the news with you.

First up is les Enfants d’ailleurs, by Bannister and Nykko. A new French language children’s graphic album, it features art by FLIGHT contributor Bannister and is quite pretty, if you like the animation/illustration-style stuff. The book is also appropriate for younger readers, and features a much more approachable vocabulary than most graphic albums if you happen to be looking to brush up on your francais. Second floor.

les Enfants: http://www.beguiling.com/productview2a.asp?P_NUM=5383

Secondly, we have RAGNI. The debut 5-song EP from Canadian songsters Ragni features a brand new 21 page graphic novella from Canadian illustrator Karl Kerschl, famous for his work on SUPERMAN and X-MEN. It’s actually a really nice, wordless black and white story and the music is good too. Sort of a late-period ambient Radiohead kind of thing? At any rate, it’s a pretty excellent (and unique!) addition to any comics library. $15.00, second floor.

RAGNI: http://www.beguiling.com/productview2a.asp?P_NUM=5384

Finally, we have a book that isn’t new this week but IS sort of a wonderful rarity that we should’ve mentioned a little while back. Canadian painter Ryan Heshka released a fun little artbook called ABC Spook Show, a 60 page collection of paintings that have the cute/goth look totally wrapped up. You can see more art at Heska’s website, http://www.ryanheshka.com. We’ve got plenty in stock at $22.95, available on the main floor.

ABC Spook Show: http://www.beguiling.com/productview2a.asp?P_NUM=5385

That’s it for this week! See you soon with more great books and events.

– Christopher

Happy Monday Morning, everybody.

We got two new books in this morning that you might be curious about. First is the new one by Charles Burns… What’s that, you say you didn’t know there was a new Charles Burns in the works? Well then, you apparently missed the news about One Eye, “a collection of paired photographs by Charles Burns that captures the strange undertones of a staggering range of objects and locales.” As the cover shows, it’s some pretty interesting stuff and if you’re a fan of Burns’ sequential narrative work, chances are you’re going to absolutely love his photography.

One Eye: http://www.beguiling.com/productview2a.asp?P_NUM=5381

Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum is a brand new work featuring the art of fan-favourite Terry Dodson. Known for his ‘good-girl’ art, the new French-language album Songes Tome 1: Coraline is considerably more risque than Dodson can get away with on projects like Wonder Woman. Fans of animation and illustration books already scooped up our first shipment of this one, and it’s unlikely that the copies we have will be around for long. Better make your way to the store post-haste.

Songes Tome 1: http://www.beguiling.com/productview2a.asp?P_NUM=5380

That’s all for this morning. Check back all week, there’re always new books showing up…

– Chris

Update: Scott Pilgrim @ the Library
Presented in partnership with Toronto Public Library
Part of Keep Toronto Reading 2007

Sit down with critically acclaimed graphic novel creator Bryan Lee O’Malley, the man behind the witty and hilarious Scott Pilgrim series, selected as the Independent Comic of the Year by Entertainment Weekly (2006). Bryan chats with The Beguiling’s Peter Birkemoe and you never know, he might just give away a few exciting teasers about the highly anticipated new volume of Scott Pilgrim.

North York Central Library (Concourse)
Tues. Feb. 20, 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Also: Live chat with Bryan Lee O’Malley!

Can’t wait until the 20th? Chat online with Bryan a day before the
event on Book Buzz: Toronto Public Library’s Online Book
Club. It’s the perfect appetizer to what will be a highly
memorable event.

Mon. Feb. 19, 4-5 p.m. FREE.

—

We hope to see a whole bunch of our customers and friends out at this event, as we think it’s gonna be a good one…!

– Christopher

We’re happy to announce that artist Matt Forsythe has dropped off copies of issues one and two of OJINGOGO here at The Beguiling. These mini-comics collect his Eisner-nominated online comic, and are funny and beautifully drawn. Also? Wierd-as-hell, but in a great ‘these are comics that aliens make’ sort of a way. Actually, it reminds me a little bit of last year’s excellent A.L.I.E.E.E.N. by Lewis Trondheim in that way. Good stuff which will leave you wanting more, and Canadian too! Issue 1 is $5, and issue 2 is $6. Main floor, in front of the cash desk.

– Chris
P.S. You can check out Matt’s work at his website, http://comingupforair.net/.

Broccoli is a smaller manga publisher, and one of the few that doesn’t have some sort of exclusive arrangement with Diamond Comics Distributors. As a result, Diamond doesn’t tend to stock their books and their titles tend to get overlooked when we’re doing our own reorders. We’re sorry.

We’re happy to announce we’ve just restocked all-things Broccoli, your manga-prayers are answered. Here’s what’s come in:

Aquarian Age Juvenile Orion Vol 1-5, plus 5 w/artbox.
Aquarian Age Juvenile Orion: Realm Of Light Art Book – New!
Di Gi Charat Theater Vol 1-2
Galaxy Angel Vol 1-5
Galaxy Angel Beta Vol 1-3
Galaxy Angel Party Vol 1-2
Kamui Vol 1-5
Until The Full Moon Vol 1-2
Yoki Koto Kiku Vol 1

Expect more product updates this week, there’s a ton of new stuff in or coming soon.

– Christopher

So what were the best comics of last year? Depending on which Beguiling employee you ask (and what time of the day it is) you’ll get a different answer. Luckily we’ve put together a little list of our favourite 25(ish) comics of 2006. We’ve even set up a little display of said books on the main floor of The Beguiling, to make it that much easier for you to match our tastes with your own. All books should also be up on the website for purchase over the net, if that’s your thing.

To see the staff members’ individual choices, please come by the store and see us!

THE BEGUILING STAFF’S PICKS FOR BEST COMICS OF 2006

Abandon The Old In Tokyo, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi. Drawn & Quarterly
– The second collection of Tatsumi’s masterful slice-of-life strips provides not only insight into post-war, middle-class Japan, but also the human condition.

Absolute DC: The New Frontier, by Darwyn Cooke. DC Comics
– Our favourite superhero comic in years, finally receiving the treatment and collection it deserves.

Acme Novelty Library 17, by Chris Ware. Drawn & Quarterly
– More quiet emotional devastation in the concluding chapter of the INTRODUCTION to RUSTY BROWN. Christ only knows what we have in store for us with the remaining chapters.

All Star Superman, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. DC Comics
– Remember when you read Superhero comics, and they were fun, and you just wholly enjoyed every issue you read? This is just like that.

Art Out Of Time , by Dan Nadel. Abrams
– This collection of little-known and overlooked comics is an important step in preserving comics culture and heritage. It’s a great read too.

Big Questions 8-9 & Don’t Go Where I Can’t Follow, by Anders Nilsen. Drawn & Quarterly
– 2006 saw two issues of Anders’ long-running ‘mini-comic’, now published by D&Q. It also saw a heartbreaking and inspirational memoir that will stay with you forever. Both feature the delicate, intricate cartooning that has made him a store favourite for years.

Curses & Ganges & Or Else 3-4. Drawn & Quarterly and Fantagraphics.
– Another two-book entry, this time featuring the work of Kevin Huizenga. A phenomenal cartoonist, Huizenga’s work is formalist, humanist, and resonant. Don’t miss these books.

Dragonhead Volumes 1-5, by Minetaro Mochizuki. Tokyopop.
– Genuinely terrifying, Dragon Head should be required reading for anyone in high school. Truly gripping storytelling and appropriately ‘ugly’ art combine into the most compelling manga on the racks.

Drawn & Quarterly Showcase Volume 4, by various. Drawn & Quarterly
– This year’s showcase volume is the all-around strongest yet, featuring a breakthrough story by Gabrielle Bell, an eerie little short by Martin Cendreda, and a surprising and poigniant tale by Dan Zettwoch.

Drifiting ClassroomVolumes 1-3, by Kazuo Umezu. Viz LLC.
– We’ll admit this one is an acquired taste, so let’s file it under “guilty pleasure”. A group of school-children are transported to the apocalypse, where society breaks down and their teachers have shotguns, broken glass, and murderous intent.

Fate of the Artist, by Eddie Campbell. First Second Books
– If you’ve read Campbell’s previous outtings FROM HELL or AFTER THE SNOOTER, then this book will be immensely satisfying and interesting to you. If not… well, it’s 50/50, but most of us really enjoyed this final chapter in Eddie Campbell’s veiled autobiography.

Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel. Houghton-Mifflin
– A controversial (though widely acclaimed) graphic novel, it was actually just a really entertaining and touching read. Any of the staff who read it, really enjoyed it.

Get A Life & Maybe Later, by Dupuy and Berberian. Drawn & Quarterly
– Perhaps the most under-rated release of the year, the new Mr. Jean book GET A LIFE and the behind-the-scenes autobiography MAYBE LATER are just absolutely sterling collections, warm and human and beautiful.

Girl Stories, by Lauren Weinstein. Henry Holt
– If you are between the ages of 25 and 35, then this series of vignettes from a girl in grade 8 is sure to make you react with both horror and laughter.

Japan as Viewed by 17 Creators, by various. Fanfare/Ponent Mon
– Coming as it did early in 2006, it’s easy to forget that this collection of work by Joann Sfar, Taiyo Matsumoto, Nicolas DeCrecy and Jiro Taniguchi, and 13 more creators, was one of the best comics of the year. It is though, so don’t forget.

Kramers Ergot Volume 6, by Various.
– Editor Sammy Harkham has a compelling and challenging idea of what’s great about comics and art, and Kramers Ergot is the best argument in support of that idea that one could make.

Left Bank Gang & Meow Baby, by Jason. Fantagraphics
– Two new graphic albums from Jason in 2006! Whether your tastes run to heist comics staring F. Scott Fitzgerald and Hemmingway, or hilarious short gags, Jason has got you covered.

Love Roma Volumes 3-4, by Minoru Toyoda. Del Rey
– Probably the weirdest winner on our list, this is a simply-drawn series about a boy and girl in high-school who love each other. That’s about it. It’s just so charming though…

Monster Volumes 1-6, by Naoki Urasawa. Viz LLC
– A Japanese doctor must take a life, when a boy he saved grows up into the greatest serial killer the world has ever known! From “the Stephen King of Japan”, and that should tell you whether this is your thing or not. We love it, though.

Ode to Kirihito, by Osamu Tezuka. Vertical
– 2006 saw Buddha finish its serialization, and far from marking the end of Vertical’s plans to reprint the work of “God of Manga” Osamu Tezuka, it turned out to be just the beginning. For which we should all be greatful.

Pride of Baghdad, by Brian K. Vaughan and Nico Henrickson. DC Comics/Vertigo
– This graphic novel really surprised us, by being a well-drawn and intelligent allegory for the Iraq war. Defintiely worth reading.

Schizo #4, by Ivan Brunetti. Fantagraphics
– A beautiful, over-sized art-object of a ‘regular issue’, what really makes this book sing is knowing the torture that it took to produce…

Scott Pilgrim Volume 3, by Bryan Lee O’Malley. Oni Press
– We just love this book so very much.

Tales Designed To Thrizzle #2-3, by Michael Kupperman. Fantagraphics
– Remember when Saturday Night Live sketches and TV Funhouse segments were really good? Like, t-shirt inspiring good? This book is just like that, except with no built-in shelf date or censors. Plus? Fun to say out loud: “Thrizzle!”

Vampire Loves, by Joann Sfar. First Second Books
– Our final pick is a quiet, reflective tale of love and loss, starring an immortal. A quiet little gem of a comic, in the vein of The Rabbi’s Cat.

Just in time for Groundhog Day, The Beguiling has received a substantial shipment of Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie’s Lost Girls. For those of you not in-the-know, Lost Girls is a stunning three-volume set, detailing the secret erotic lives of Alice, Wendy, and Dorothy… three very famous ladies. Sort of a dirty version of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Mm, make that dirtier. Anyhow, the book is now back in stock in its third printing.

We’ve also added the book to our online bookstore, though we’ve added the caveat that we’re only shipping the book within Canada thanks to its sensitive content. If your local store doesn’t have the book, or refuses to order it, we’re happy to help you out. If you’re outside of Canada though, Top Shelf have you covered.

It is a heavy one though, we strongly suggest coming by The Beguiling to pick up a copy if you can, and save yourself some money on shipping.

So we’re going to start posting a little bit more frequently, with news of cool books and updates to the store and website. I’ll also probably redesign the front-page here, to more-easily accomodate increased posting.

We’ve added two great, fairly-rare books to the website recently that we wanted to tell you about. They’re both by the awesome and talented art-duo kozyndan, who we got to meet a few years back and fell in love with. You can find out more about them at their website, http://kozyndan.com/

The first book is Urban Myths. Published by Giant Robot in 2003, it collects most of the duo’s work up until the latter part of 2003 in an affordable 96 page volume. It features several panoramics, tons of illustration work, and several of the The Postal Service CD-Single covers too. The second book is Lactaid Dreams, a very cool colouring book. Yeah, there’ve been a couple of ‘hip’ colouring books released that are kind of questionable… (the Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gangsta Rap ones in particular), but this one’s actually really good. It features original pencil art and process work from before their illustrations are digitally inked and coloured, and has a double-gatefold in the centre featuring their salaryman-as-kogal panoramic. It’s also a little bit dirty, but that’s a good thing. 🙂

Both books are available on the store as well, and I’d totally recommend them both, if for no other reason than Urban Myths is completely out of print everywhere, right now (but I really like their work too).

Thanks for reading!

– Chris @ The Beguiling