Diamond Comic Distrubutors’ Previews Catalogue is the place to find the best upcoming graphic novels, comics and manga. Titles are listed in the catalogue approximately 2 months before they are released onto the market which makes this tome a great resource for pre-ordering and staying ahead of upcoming releases.

The titles listed below are highly recommended for both libraries and schools due to their literary content and/or popularity. I have placed emphasis on graphic novels for kids but may add the occasional teen/adult title if they are particularly noteworthy.

Best Upcoming Graphic Novels/Manga For Kids:
Previews Catalogue December 2009

DISNEY’S HERO SQUAD VOLUME 1 SC
SC, 6×9, 112pgs, FC
Junior Fiction ISBN: 9781608865437

When Scrooge McDuck’s money bin is assaulted by the world’s most sinister super-villains, it’s up to the Hero Squad to save the day! Super Goof! The Duck Avenger!

Can an alliance of Disney’s mightiest keep Scrooge from losing his lucre? Collecting the Hero Squad stories from BOOM!’s first four smash-hit issues of Walt Disney Comics and Stories #699-702!

UNCLE SCROOGE: THE HUNT FOR OLD NUMBER ONE
(W) Erik Hedman (A) Wanda Gattino
SOFTCOVER—SC, 6×9, 112pgs, FC
Junior Fiction ISBN: 9781608865475

It’s the adventures of the richest duck in the world!
Join Donald Duck’s favourite penny pinching Uncle Scrooge as he, along with Donald, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie embark on a globe spanning trek to recover treasure and save Scrooge’s “number one dime” from the treacherous grasp of Magica De Spell and a whole host of baddies in the exciting Hunt for the Number One Dime!

DONALD DUCK AND FRIENDS VOLUME 1: DOUBLE DUCK
(W) Fausto Vitaliano, Marco Bosco (A) Various
SOFTCOVER—SC, 6×9, 112pgs, FC
Junior Fiction ISBN: 9781608865451

Donald Duck as a secret agent?
Villainous fiends beware as the world of super sleuthing and espionage will never be the same in the first part of the epic Double Duck!
This is Donald Duck like you’ve never seen him!

WIZARDS OF MICKEY VOLUME 1 SC
SC, 6×9, 112pgs, FC
Junior Fiction ISBN: 9781608865413

When the Wizard’s Apprentice, Mickey Mouse, loses the magic talisman he has been charged to protect, Mickey must gather a team to win it back in the Great Wizard’s Tournament… but with Donald and Goofy as his teammates, does he really have a chance?

Collecting the first four smash hit Wizards of Mickey stories, originally presented in Mickey Mouse and Friends #296-299!

AMELIA EARHART: THIS BROAD OCEAN HC
(W) Sarah Stewart Taylor (A) Ben Towie
HC, 7×10, 96pgs, FC
Junior Fiction ISBN: 9781423113379

Amelia Earhart’s triumphant crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 1928 offers readers a glimpse into her relentless ambition and her tireless will to promote women’s rights. She developed a love of flying at a very young age. As she followed her dream, breaking records along the way, she inspired other women to soar to new heights.

MARVEL ADVENTURES IRON MAN/SPIDER-MAN DIGEST
Written by Various
96 PGS
Junior Fiction ISBN: 9780785141174

The all-ages, all-action fun continues with four stories starring two of Marvel’s most famous heroes! First, it’s up to Spider-Man to save the day when a werewolf terrorizes Midtown High. And if that’s not bad enough, Tombstone and the Torino crime family have put a price on his head!

Then, learn the terrible secret from Tony Stark’s past that forced the billionaire inventor to become the Golden Guardian known as Iron Man, the world-renowned symbol of mega-conglomerate Stark International! And finally, our heroes battle together in two titanic tales of Marvel past, facing the twin terrors of the Radioactive Man and Zarrko, the Tomorrow Man!

You can Preorder these titles (copy the ISBN for convenience) at Amazon.

Just a quick note to let you know about Amazon’s Black Friday Sale that starts today.

This is the one week of the year that Amazon heavily discounts certain items in their already heavily discounted stock for a very limited time.

These guys are masters at creating anticipation (as I write Monster Vs Aliens DVD is 77% off with 22% of stock sold out and only 1 hour and 12 minutes left of the sale!!!!).

Note added exclamation marks above (insert droll accent here).

Anyway the reason for drawing all of this crass (but highly effective) sales talk to your attention is that there are a number of Graphic novels and comic collections included in the sale.

As I speak they have all three of Stephen King’s Darktower GNs for $29.99, which is a cool deal. They also had The Complete Far Side and The Complete Calvin and Hobbes on steep discount.

Things may change by the time you read this because, as I mentioned above, most deals are on sale for a very limited time and it pays to check back daily.

Hopefully throughout the week Amazon will see fit to add more graphic novels to the sale deals (if you see one let us know!).

You can find the direct link to the Black Friday Deals on Books section here (I got lost very quickly!)

More Graphic Novel news coming soon, I promise.

Cheers
inger

Diamond Comic Distrubutors’ Previews Catalogue is the place to find the best upcoming graphic novels, comics and manga. Titles are listed in the catalogue approximately 2 months before they are released onto the market which makes this tome a great resource for pre-ordering and staying ahead of upcoming releases.

The titles listed below are highly recommended for both libraries and schools due to their literary content and/or popularity. I have placed emphasis on graphic novels for kids but may add the occasional teen/adult title if they are particularly noteworthy.

Best Upcoming Graphic Novels/Manga For Kids:
Previews Catalogue October 2009

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS—THE COLOSSUS OF DESTINY
Jeremy Barlow (W) and Matt and Shawn Fillbach (A)
On sale Feb 17 FC, 80 pages TPB
Junior Fiction ISBN:9781595824165

Jedi Master Mace Windu leads a battle against Separatist forces for control of the planet Simocadia!

While the Confederacy of Independent Systems battles for the planet’s rare fuel source, and the Republic tries to repel the invaders, the rulers of Simocadia choose a different option to save the planet: awakening the Ardana Shadex, an indestructible mechanized giant that has been sleeping for centuries under the planet’s surface! But awakening the colossus could cost many lives and cause more destruction than the current war. Mace Windu races against time and across a dangerous landscape to prevent his onetime friend, Prince Yojan, from causing disaster.
Pre-Order From Amazon

PRINCE OF HEROES CHAPTER II TP
(W/A) Rod Espinosa
SC, 7×10, 200pgs, FC
Junior Fiction ISBN: 9780982374283

Having worked for Marvel Comics and Dark Horse and having been praised by the likes of Warren Ellis, Harlan Ellison, J.H. Williams and Publisher’s Weekly, amongst many, many others, highly acclaimed creator Rod Espinosa returns with his newest grand epic, Prince of Heroes, Chapter II!

Born on a distant planet and crossing galaxies to reach his final destination, a young boy discovers he has a great legacy to fulfil.

Evacuated from their homeland by impending war, Ronen and his mother now travel aboard the Nebulous Mirage to the deep reaches of the outer universe. Beyond the borders of the United Empires Government lies the homeland of the superhuman Darem, Ronen’s ancestral people. But the journey will be long, and challenges await, for Ronen soon finds out they are travelling with more than just war refugees. Danger awaits around the next corner!

All 200 full-colour pages of this magnum opus are done in the highest quality that people have come to expect from Rod! Embark on an epic journey that absolutely will not disappoint ANY fans of sci-fi, space opera and high adventure! Collects Prince of Heroes Chapter II #1-6.
Pre-Order From Amazon

CALAMITY JACK VOLUME 1 GN
(W) Shannon & Dean Hale (A) Nathan Hale
SC, 8.5 x11, 144pgs, FC
Junior Fiction ISBN: 9781599900766

Action and thrills define this gangster-filled and hugely entertaining retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack thinks of himself as a criminal mastermind with an unfortunate amount of bad luck. But, of course, he’s not out for himself, he’s trying to take the burden off his hardworking mum’s shoulders.

One day, Jack chooses a target a little more giant than the usual, and as one little bean turns into a great big building-destroying beanstalk, his troubles really begin!
Pre-Order From Amazon

MONSTERS INC. VOLUME 1: THE LAUGH FACTORY TP
(W) Paul Benjamin (A) Amy Mebberson
SC, 6×9, 112pgs, FC
Junior Fiction ISBN: 9781608865086

New adventures are afoot as Sulley attempts to keep things together at the new, improved Monsters, Inc.! Someone is stealing comedy props from the other employees, making it difficult for them to harvest the laughter they need to power Monstropolis, and all the evidence points to Sulley’s best friend, Mike Wazowski!
Pre-Order From Amazon

MUPPET PETER PAN TP
(W) Grace Randolph (A) Amy Mebberson
SC, 6×9, 112pgs, FC
Junior Fiction ISBN: 9781608865079

Captain Gonzo and his crew of pirates have it in for Kermie Pan, and with Piggytink’s jealousy over Wendy reaching a fever pitch, our green hero may be too distracted by domestic issues to stop him! It’s the classic tale of Peter Pan, Muppet Style!
Cover by Mouse Guard’s David Petersen!
Pre-Order From Amazon

MINI MARVELS ULTIMATE COLLECTION GN-TPB
Written by SEAN MCKEEVER, MARC SUMERAK, PAUL TOBIN, AUDREY LOEB & CHRIS GIARRUSSO
Pencilled by CHRIS GIARRUSSO 216 PGS./
Junior Fiction ISBN: 9780785142843

All-ages fun featuring the wild and crazy kid counterparts to Marvel’s greatest heroes! Featuring Spidey, Wolverine, Iron Man, Hulk and more Marvel favourites — re-imagined for an all-ages audience! ALL your favourite Mini Marvels adventures collected in one hilarious and action-packed collection!

Be there when Spidey gets the Paperboy Blues, Wolverine goes on a Cereal Quest, Hulk goes on a date and the Fantastic Four are impersonated by Skrulls. Plus: Spidey gets in over his head when he babysits Power Pack, but he gets by with a little help from his AMAZING FRIENDS Iceman and Firestar!
Pre-Order From Amazon

Its almost here!

The anticipation for Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 4 is almost palpable, and comes close to matching Harry Potter for the level of excitement being generated. 

Jeff Kinney, recently voted one of the world’s most influential people by TIME magazine (WOW!) has created a phenomenon in a very honest and heartfelt portrayal of a regular kid with regular problems and hopes.
But just don’t tell Greg Heffley that. 

Greg Heffley, the narrator of Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, loves computer games, wants to be popular (but doesn’t want to stand out) and is nurturing a growing interest in girls. Greg writes about his daily adventures at elementary-middle school in a diary, illustrating it with highly expressive stick figure drawings, and telling his story with brutal honesty and deadpan humor.

He discusses bullies, parents, teachers and embarassing friends with the same level of laser-sharp insight and it can get pretty revealing at times.


The insights that Jeff Kinney lends to Greg about parent/teacher relationships to children are hilarious and obviously borne from his experience as a father. As a parent I can read Diary Of A Wimpy Kid and wince at cringe-worthy parental behaviours that I find hauntingly familiar in my own relationship with my children. Seeing these behaviors from a child’s perspective is a great lesson in parenting.

While technically not a graphic novel it has enough elements of comic-style stories to make it interesting to graphic novel fans of all ages. Word balloons make an appearance and simple pictures are used to both express motion and convey emotion to great effect. Regardless of what the format is called, its a winning combination.

Its not just kids who should be looking forward to the release of Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 4 on October 12th. Parents who want to connect with their tweens will want to get another copy for themselves and share the insights and humor with an open mind and an open heart.