TRADE WAITING #4: Week of September 29, 2021

Graphic novels. Collected editions. Omnibuses. Trades. These are really all just words for “a kickass way to read comics”. So, with this column we’re going to look at all of those kickass bound pages that are hitting comic shops, bookstores and online outlets this week! (Note that in some instances, the release dates to comic shops, online retailers and book stores are different)

LIFE OF MELODY
Written by Mari Costa
Art by Mari Costa
Published by Seven Seas Entertainment
Release Date: September 29, 2021
Price: $15.99
You can find it here: Bookshop.org

The publisher says: In this charming and full-color LGBT+ graphic novel first released as a webcomic, a fairy godfather and a beast man raise a human baby together. A human child abandoned in the woods is discovered by an unlikely pair: Razzmatazz, a fairy godfather, and Bon, a beast man. After quarreling over the best way to handle the child, they finally agree to co-parent in the human world – for now, at least. What the two men don’t expect is this little arrangement will push them to discover more about themselves…and more about each other, which might result in love. In this charming LGBT+ romcom, one “temporary” magical family might just become real!

What I say: ROMCOM ALERT! Starting as a webcomic, Life of Melody is now in print and ready for your enjoyment! The ridiculous notion that comics aren’t for everyone is shown up by delightful LGBT+ romcom comics like this very one!

THE GOOD ASIAN VOL 01
Written by Pornsak Pichetshote
Art by Alexandre Tefenkgi, Lee Loughridge
Published by Image Comics
Release Date: September 29, 2021
Price: $14.99
You can find it here: Bookshop.org

The publisher says: Writer PORNSAK PICHETSHOTE’s long-awaited follow-up to the critically acclaimed INFIDEL with stunning art by ALEXANDRE TEFENKGI (OUTPOST ZERO)! Following Edison Hark-a haunted, self-loathing Chinese-American detective-on the trail of a killer in 1936 Chinatown, THE GOOD ASIAN is Chinatown noir starring the first generation of Americans to come of age under an immigration ban, the Chinese, as they’re besieged by rampant murders, abusive police, and a world that seemingly never changes.

What I say: This is the kind of noir that evokes the names “Brubaker” and “Phillips”, while driving home the unique political hellscape of 1936 Chinatown. That’s all you need to know.

INVESTIGATORS: ANTS IN OUR P.A.N.T.S.
Written by John Patrick Green
Art by John Patrick Green
Published by First Second
Release Date: September 29, 2021
Price: $9.99
You can find it here: Bookshop.org

The publisher says: Will InvestiGators Mango and RoboBrash be able to solve this latest mystery in the hilarious adventure series perfect for fans of Dog Man?!

The InvestiGators’ new mission has our sewer-loving secret agents bugging out in InvestiGators: Ants in Our P.A.N.T.S, the latest chapter in the hilarious adventure series from John Patrick Green.

With agent Brash trapped in a mysterious coma, the technicians at S.U.I.T. have designed the ultimate replacement: RoboBrash! This high-tech replica has been programmed with all of the original Brash’s crime-fighting skills and knowhow―but it seems he’s got a few bugs in his system! Will Mango and his new partner be enough to stop the giant ants that are on a rampage in the city? Orchestrated by the spaced-out villain, Maestronaut, and Houdino, the dinosaur escape artist, it seems criminals are certainly upping the ANT-y!

What I say: InvestiGators is a staple in our household, and has been for years. Your younger middle-grade readers in your life will praise your existence when you drop this series in their lap!

HEAD LOPPER VOL 04
Written by Andrew MacLean
Art by Andrew MacLean, Jordie Bellaire
Published by Image Comics
Release Date: September 29, 2021
Price: $16.99
You can find it here: Bookshop.org

The publisher says: With high-stakes action and big imagination, Norgal and Agatha embark on a quest to find an invisible staircase to the heavens, atop which sits Mulgrid the All-Knowing. With dark assassins everywhere, Norgal hopes the aid of Mulgrid will give him the upper hand. Slashing their way through gorgons, bombing their way past gargantuan spiders, and navigating the politics of a kingdom on the brink of collapse, the fellowship must make teamwork a priority to survive.

COLLECTS HEAD LOPPER #13-16

What I say: Okay, so volume 4 is probably not the best place to start any series, but Head Lopper should be on your radar. Andrew MacLean’s wild story has trucked along like a beast and this is exactly the kind of story that only creator-owned comics can provide.

MARIE CURIE: A QUEST FOR LIGHT
Written by Frances Andreasen Osterfelt, Anja Cetti Andersen
Art by Anna Blaszczyk
Published by IDW Publishing
Release Date: September 29, 2021
Price: $17.99
You can find it here: Bookshop.org

The publisher says: Marie Curie’s exceptional life and groundbreaking research changed the world, expanding scientific understanding and creating new opportunities for women, as explored in this lavishly illustrated graphic biography endorsed by the Curie Estate.

Curie’s unique drive-against all odds-to understand Nature’s ways and laws led to groundbreaking discoveries, which revolutionized medical theory and practice. She was the first female Nobel Prize winner and, to date, the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two categories; first physics and later in chemistry.

Authorized by the Curie Estate, Marie Curie: A Quest For Light presents a special collaboration between author Frances Andreasen sterfelt, the internationally acclaimed Danish astrophysicist Anja Cetti Andersen, and features delightful illustration by artist Anna Blaszczyk. Together they have made Curie’s fascinating story accessible to young readers.

What I say: Kudos to everyone involved with making this project happen, because bringing the story of Marie Curie to an audience of young readers is…well, it’s just amazing work. Hell, young or old readers – you should know about the amazing Marie Curie and what better way than this? 

SCARENTHOOD
Written by Nick Roche
Art by Nick Roche, Chris O’Halloran
Published by IDW Publishing
Release Date: September 29, 2021
Price: $15.99
You can find it here: Bookshop.org

The publisher says: What’s scarier: fighting demons or letting your kids down? That’s what a group of parents will find out as their plans to solve the school’s long standing mystery lead to one parenting nightmare after another!

TO-DO LIST: Drop kids at preschool; Grab coffee with other parents; Go ghost-hunting in woods; Fight demonic entity; Collect kids; Nap time.

With the kids away on a field trip, a group of parents disturbs an ancient evil buried beneath the old Church Hall, unearthing a decades-old mystery about a missing child, and inviting something… hungry into their lives. Suddenly, their mornings go from playdates and peanut allergies, to a battle for the souls of a broken family-and one child in particular-in this original story that combines the highs of parenthood with horror movie scares.

What I say: While this sounds like the day to day life for most parents (fight demonic entity, carpool, etc.), the talented Nick Roche is bringing demons to suburbia and I’m ready.

CAPTAIN MARVEL VOL 06: STRANGE MAGIC
Written by Kelly Thompson, Jamie McKelvie
Art by David Lopez, more
Published by Marvel Comics
Release Date: September 29, 2021
Price: $15.99
You can find it here: Bookshop.org

The publisher says: Swipe right, Captain Marvel! Devastated by her breakup with Rhodey, Carol can’t seem to get her groove back. Sure, monsters are still getting punched, but things are also getting missed – and boy oh boy is she grouchy. Before Carol can drive her friends fully insane, they stage an intervention that looks a heck of a lot like speed dating. With friends like these, who needs enemies?! But forget romance – Captain Marvel is far more at home on the battlefield. She’s a born soldier. Give her an enemy to fight, and she’s unstoppable. But her Achilles’ heel is about to snap. The mystic arts are Carol’s one true weakness, and – haunted by her failure to stop the villain Ove – she sets out on a mission to correct that weakness…at any cost! Guest-starring Doctor Strange! Collecting CAPTAIN MARVEL (2019) #27-30.

What I say: This most recent Captain Marvel run, written by Kelly Thompson, is as good as this character has ever seen – and I say that with colossal respect for several other Captain Marvel runs. Carol remains a top-flight character with a high flyin’ creative team that keeps her stories moving higher, further, faster.

…and with that, I call this week done. Happy reading, comics fans!

You can find your local comic book shop using Comic Shop Locator here: https://www.comicshoplocator.com

Any purchases made via retailer links provided in this article may result in this site receiving a share of that sale, which is truly appreciated!

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