A rather excessive bill later (a voice in my head kept screaming, “In THIS economy? You’re spending THAT?” but I’d already learned how to ignore that voice years ago, when I was in college), I was headed home with my stash of comics and incredibly sore feet. So now, I have only one mission: To write this newsletter before curling up on the couch with the first three issues of Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds, various and sundry issues of X-Men, and The Overman. So let’s get to it!

I want to thank everyone who wrote in after the last newsletter. I had asked the question of what you call printed graphic material—comic books, graphic novels, something else—and if you dislike applying the novel moniker to a format that includes a lot of nonfiction. I also asked readers to nominate shops they’d like to see featured in our bestsellers section. Both questions are open-ended, by the way, so feel free to keep emailing me your responses—we especially are striving to make sure comics shops around North America are well-represented, so please help us make sure we get the best ones featured on the site. All the responses have been great so far. It’s nice to know we have so many thoughtful readers.

We also had a great response to our Watchmen Movie Contest. We wanted to know your opinion of the movie, and you guys definitely shared your thoughts. We’ve added most of those mini reviews to the site. And let me also say congratulations to our three winners: Charles Fraker, Reva Wamsley, and Sara Stueve. Charles, Reva, and Sara each won copies of both Watchmen: The Art of the Film and Watchmen: The Film Companion.

I’ve been having so many passionate, spirited discussions about Watchmen, even now. The movie continues to be one of the most controversial comics-related movies ever released, which is no big surprise. What is surprising, though, is how much people can’t wait to talk about it, whether they loved it or hated it. My friends who hated it have been eager to tell me so, repeatedly. And the ones who loved it have been just as vocal.

Today, while shopping at the comics store, I noticed DC’s well-timed After Watchmen promotions throughout the store. Their selection of what to read is pretty diverse (all DC books, of course) and interesting, and I’m curious how successful it will be with people new to the format. People who are reading Watchmen now in book clubs or picking the book up to read for themselves alone are wondering just what the buzz is about, but I hope it’s not the end-all, be-all to them. A friend of mine who is reading the book in her book group is, I’m sure, going to hate it. I didn’t have the heart to tell her. She was so eager to let me know, and so happy, that I just couldn’t tell her that it wasn’t the book for her. (It’s not her fault; the book isn’t universal.) I’m waiting for the right moment to suggest a couple substitutes for the club. I’m thinking Blankets.

So I’m off to read now, and I hope you’re off to read as well—first, the descriptions of our lineup below, and then on to the GNR site for the scoop on the latest and greatest new graphic releases. Enjoy, and look for the next newsletter and update on April 22.

John Hogan (John@bookreporter.com)

Ariel Schrag
Ariel Schrag documented her high-school years in four raw, unflinching memoirs. With the release of the fourth and final edition, Likewise, which chronicles her senior year, she talks about what it's like to share your coming-of-age with the world.

Mitch Clem
Mitch Clem started Nothing Nice to Say, a webcomic about "the awesomeness and the absurdity" of the punk rock scene, back in 2002. Here he talks about the recently released anthology of his popular and controversial series.

We share news, updates, tips, personal observations, and more. Keep up-to-date by checking our blog entries.

Eisner Nominees Announced

Green Lantern Gets Pushed Back a Month

Love is in the Air

Kids Comic Con 2009 Takes New York

Manga Grows in Brooklyn

Congratulations to Our Watchmen Winners!

Nickelodeon Magazine's Comics Awards Announced

If we're in the middle of a graphic novel bubble, what happens when that bubble explodes? Actually, we've been in bubbles like this before, and as writer and artist Jeffrey Brown explains, the format we love so much will not only survive the bubble, but will also thrive.

Watchmen: What GNR Readers Are Saying
The contest ran throughout March, and now you can see what your fellow GNR readers have been saying about the Watchmen movie. It's a diverse collection of thoughts for a very diverse, intense movie.

From great science fiction to compelling drama to aching romance, dozens of reviews of top fiction titles are now online.

Green Lama Archives, Volume 2
A classic and almost-forgotten series from comics' Golden Age, Green Lama was a superhero way ahead of his time. Buddhist, peaceful, and harmonious, Green Lama preached acceptance and fought racism and hatred, even while fighting for America in World War II.

You Will Drown in Love
Sequel to You Will Fall in Love, You Will Drown in Love once again delivers a tense romance between an untried kimono shop manager and his more experienced-in matters of both the workplace and the heart-employee.

Turok, Son of Stone, Volume 1
Somewhere in America's southwest lies a hidden valley filled with prehistoric creatures. That's what Turok and his friend discovered quite by accident one day in this classic comics series, and their adventures lasted for decades. This extensive volume collects the first six issues of the series.

Magicman
Magicman fought the Vietcong and the horrible Sgt. Kilkenny in a short-lived feature in the Forbidden Worlds comic book. Now, Dark Horse collects the entire Magicman run in one hardcover volume.

Teens love graphic novels, and we’ve got them covered in our in-depth reviews.

The Super-Cool Life of Strawberry Chan
Pet frog Strawberry Chan wants nothing more in this world than for his own Akiyoshi to love him. Too bad Akiyoshi has such a wide sadistic streak. An unforgettable example of the gag manga genre that will leave you unsure whether to laugh or to cringe.

Seaguy
Seaguy reprints the first three-issue Seaguy miniseries, published by Vertigo in 2004, and is entirely self-contained. What one takes away from Seaguy will depend entirely upon how deeply one reads into the story, and the story has much to offer both children and adult readers alike.

Zot! 1987-1991
Scott McCloud's charming (and groundbreaking) mix of superheroes and manga is a legend in comics. This volume collects the entire black-and-white series in all its unabashed, irresistible glory.

Luke on the Loose
A bored little boy chases a flock of pigeons through Manhattan and Brooklyn, leaving chaos in his wake, in this energetic slapstick comedy told with a cheery palette and charming details-including a few winks to the grownups.

Vidia and the Fairy Crown
Vidia has never quite fit in with the rest of the Never Fairies in Pixie Hollow. But when she is framed for a crime she never committed, she will stop at nothing to clear her name. This manga is a delightful East/West amalgamation based upon the Disney Fairies franchise.

Amulet, Book One: The Stonekeeper
Kazu Kibuishi begins a new fantasy series in Amulet, Book One: The Stonekeeper. As a young girl and her brother seek to rescue their mother from an evil power, they also try to understand the strange new power that has come their way in the form of the young girl's necklace.

Find out what makes City of Dust worth checking out in Radical's online preview of the book. Also, check out more videos of comics---and manga---related content.

If you see a great video, or listen to a podcast that you think will be of interest to our readers, please send the link to me at John@bookreporter.com

Poll:

Would you like to read comics on your portable media device?

• Yes, I really want to.
• Yes, I would like to but do not think the devices are good enough to do this yet.
• Yes, I'm looking forward to having both print and electronic options.
• Yes, but only if print isn't an option.
• I already do.
• No, never.
• I'm still undecided.
• I don't know.