DRAGON PUNCHERThe kind folks at Top Shelf have supplied ComicList with their solicitations for comics and other products featured in the May 2010 Previews, scheduled to ship starting July 2010.

AX (VOL 1): A COLLECTION OF ALTERNATIVE MANGA

Edited by Sean Michael Wilson
Compiled by Mitsuhiro Asakawa
-- A 400-Page Graphic Novel with French Flaps, $29.95 (US)
-- Diamond: MAY10-1136
-- ISBN 978-1-60309-042-1

Ax is the premier Japanese magazine for alternative comics. Published bi-monthly for over ten years now, the pages of Ax contain the most creative and cutting-edge works of independent comics from the world's largest comics industry. Now Top Shelf presents a 400-page collection of stories from ten years of Ax history, translated into English for the first time! This groundbreaking book includes work by 33 artists, including Yoshihiro Tatsumi (A Drifting Life), Imiri Sakabashira (The Box Man), Kazuichi Hanawa (Doing Time), Akino Kondoh, Shin'ichi Abe, and many many more!

DRAGON PUNCHER

by James Kochalka
-- A 40-Page Full-Color Hardcover Graphic Novel, $9.95 (US)
-- Diamond: MAY10-1137
-- ISBN 978-1-60309-057-5

From the fertile mind of James Kochalka (Johnny Boo) comes an all-new fantasy adventure for all ages! Meet the Dragon Puncher, a cute but ruthless kitty in an armored battle suit, dedicated to defeating dangerous dragons wherever they may be. The Dragon Puncher and his would-be sidekick Spoony-E (a fuzzy little fellow armed with a wooden spoon) confront a gigantic, drooling dragon and have a ridiculous, hilarious brawl. Boldly combining Kochalka's signature cartooning with hilarious photography, Dragon Puncher is also a unique visual treat. Kids will go nuts for this goofy backyard adventure.

THE TICKING

by Renée French
-- A gorgeous 216-page hardcover graphic novel designed by Jordan Crane, $19.95 (US)
-- MAY10-1138
-- ISBN 978-1-891830-70-9

Finally, Renee French's masterpiece is coming back in print! The Ticking is the story of Edison Steelhead, a boy who at birth takes his mother’s life and his father’s deformed face. Secreted away by his father to be raised in a remote island lighthouse, Edison relates to his surroundings in the only way he knows how -- by capturing them in his sketchbook. Able to find beauty in even the most grotesque of things, Edison embraces his own unsettling appearance and sets out to confront the rest of the world. Written and illustrated by acclaimed artist Renée French, The Ticking is a compelling work of graphic literature, a reminder that before we can appreciate the beauty around us, we must first find it within ourselves.