King of the Flies: HalloraveThe kind folks at Fantagraphics Books have supplied ComicList with their solicitations for comics and other products featured in the November 2009 Previews, scheduled to ship starting in January 2010.

KING OF THE FLIES VOL. 1: HALLORAVE

by Pirus & Mezzo
64 pgs, Full Color, 9 x 12.5, Hardcover, $18.99
ISBN 978-1-60699-320-0

Set in a suburb that is both nowhere and everywhere, King of the Flies is a glorious bastard, combining the intricacy and subtlety of the best European graphic novels with a hyperdetailed, controlled noir style derived from the finest American cartoonists. King of the Flies first appears to be a series of unrelated short stories, each starring and narrated by a different protagonist, but it soon becomes clear that these seemingly disparate episodes weave together to form a single complex narrative, with events that are only glimpsed — revisited from different perspectives — revolving around a ne'er-do-well teenager at war with his stepfather and, apparently, the whole world. King of the Flies is designed as a trilogy of books, which will combine to form a single, stunning graphic novel!

MOME VOL. 17 - WINTER 2010

by various artists; edited by Gary Groth & Eric Reynolds
120 pgs, Full Color, 7 x 9, Softcover, $14.99
ISBN 978-1-60699-302-6

The acclaimed anthology continues with the concluding chapter of Paul Hornschemeier's third graphic novel "Life with Mr. Dangerous," which has been running in MOME since the first issue! Meanwhile, Bottomless Belly Button scribe Dash Shaw and MOME regular Tom Kaczynski collaborate on a mind-bending science- fiction story, "Resolution," where "reality" exists as a virtual world and people live thru their avatars. Olivier Schrauwen delivers the surrealistic gem "Chromo Congo"; Derek Van Gieson offers a horrific WWII story, "Devil Doll"; Renee French's "Almost Sound" returns, as does Ted Stearn's "The Moolah Tree" starring Fuzz & Pluck; plus new work from Kurt Wolfgang, Laura Park, Rick Froberg, and T. Edward Bak.

ALMOST SILENT

by Jason
292 pgs, B&W, 6.25 x 8.5, Hardcover, $24.99
ISBN 978-1-60699-315-6

Almost Silent collects four original Jason graphic novels — three of them out of print for several years — into one compact and classy hardcover omnibus. "You Can't Get There From Here," the longest story of the book, tells the tale of a love triangle involving Frankenstein, Frankenstein's Monster, and The Monster's Bride! "Tell Me Something" is a brisk, near-totally-silent graphic novelette about love lost and found again, told with a tricky and tactful mixture of forward and back-flashing narrative. "Meow, Baby" is a collection of Jason's smart short stories and gut bustin' gags. "The Living and the Dead" is a hilariously deadpan and gory take on the traditional Romero-style zombie thriller. Almost Silent is a perfect starting point for a new reader as well as a handsome and handy, inexpensive collection for the committed Jason fan.

HOTWIRE COMICS VOL. 3

by various artists; edited by Glenn Head
136 pgs, Color and B&W, 9 x 12, Softcover, $22.99
ISBN 978-1-60699-288-3

The Harvey- and Eisner-nominated anthology of action! thrills! chills! and transgression! is back with a third volume of anything goes, gut-wrenching viscerality that you can tune in and rest your overheated brain on after a long hard day. Get down and daffy with these mad cartoon luminaries as they lick your eyeballs with their pulpy, pulse-pounding inky throwdowns! Glenn Head, Rick Altergott, Johnny Ryan, Michael Kupperman, Mats?!, Mary Fleener, David Sandlin, J. Bradley Johnson, Carol Swain, Doug Allen, Stéphane Blanquet, Sam Henderson, Max Andersson, Danny Hellman, Jayr Pulga, Mack White and more! Looking for laffs? A psychic jolt? Look no further... HOTWIRE!

UNLOVABLE VOL. 2

by Esther Pearl Watson
408 pgs, Two Color, 5.75 x 5.75, Hardcover, $22.99
ISBN 978-1-60699-314-9

Loosely based on a teenager's diary from the 1980s found in a gas station bathroom, Unlovable is the remarkable story of Tammy Pierce, as filtered through the pen of Los Angeles super-artist Esther Pearl Watson. This second and concluding volume picks up where the first volume left off and finishes Tammy's tragicomic sophomore year of high school in 1985. This beautifully produced, dayglo-orange and sparkly pink hardcover presents over 400 pages of her sometimes ordinary, sometimes humiliating, often poignant and always hilarious exploits. Unlovable is about the rawness of trying to figure out who you are in a very public and humiliating way. Unlovable addresses these mysteries of adolescence through Tammy's naiveté; girls and women in particular will find much that resonates, but men will also relate to Unlovable's universal humor and wide cast of characters.