Yet another D&Q preview

And here I said I wouldn't be posting any new material this week. You'd think by now I'd learn to keep my mouth shut.

Anyway, the book publisher Farrar Straus Giroux sent me their catalog for the Spring and once again, they've got a look at what Drawn and Quarterly has lined up for the coming year. Let's take a gander, shall we?

"Spent" by Joe Matt ($19.95, out in May). This 120 page volume collects the recent storyline Matt just wrapped up in Peepshow concerning his obsessive-compulsive masterbation habits and addiction to porn. Reviews of the final chapter (and the series as a whole) have been mixed. I have the latest issue, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet, so I'm noncommittal for now.

"James Sturm's America" and "Dogs and Water" by Anders Nilsen (both out in May, $24.95 and $19.95 respectively). Two great D&Q books get resolicited. Sturm's America, of course, collects "The Rapture," "Hundreds of Feet Below Daylight" and "The Golem's Mighty Swing." And if you haven't read any of those stories then shame on you.

The Nilsen book I notice has a higher price point this time around, which makes me wonder if it's an expanded version of the original pamphlet-sized book. The catalog does note that it's "two-color illustration," which I don't believe it was before, so ... cool.

Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan (May again, $19.95). Modan is one of the members of the Actus Tragicus club, as well as the illustrator for a few children's books. This tale involves a young man who teams up with a female Israeli soldier in uncovering his father's mysterious death. I received a preview copy in the mail recently but haven't had a chance to read it yet. It looks good though.

Southern Cross by Laurence Hyde (July, $24.95). This looks to be a woodblock novel in the style of Lynd Ward or, more recently, Eric Drooker. Catalog says it's about the atomic bomb testing performed by the U.S. in the South Pacific during WWII and how it affects one Polynesian family. Apparently this was originally published in 1951 and features some essays by Hyde and a new introduction by David Berona. I wouldn't imagine it ends happily.

Walt and Skeezix Book Three (June, $29.95). Christmas comes early this year as we get the new W&S collection before the leaves have fallen off the tree this time. Expect lots more beautifully heartwarming tales of family life plus another great essay by Jeet Heer.

And that's it. Not a lot of new material per se, but some interesting collections nonetheless. I think the Modan book could be the gem of the bunch, but I'll post my impressions once I get around to unearthing it from my pile.