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Once a year, booksellers, librarians, and assorted biblios assemble at Book Expo America, the largest publishing trade show in North America. 2012 marks the tenth anniversary of the graphic novel pavilion at BEA, and while many graphic novel publishers are absent, there are many more “mainstream” publishers offering an amazing multitude of titles, genres, subjects, and audiences!
This year, John Hogan of Graphic Novel Reporter hosts The Hottest Graphic Novels of 2012! panel, where a team of five diverse individuals recommend a variety of graphic novels due to be published in 2012! Last year’s selections got lots of press and accolades, and quite a few of the titles below seem to be just as interesting and intriguing!
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Abelard
by Renaud Dillies and Regis Hautiere
NBM
On sale November 1
Color, hardcover, 128 pages
$19.99
9781561637010
Fiction
Teens and up
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Are You My Mother?
by Alison Bechdel
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
On sale now
9780618982509
Hardcover, 304 pages
Memoir
Adults
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The 
Beginning of the American Fall: A Comics Journalist Inside the
Occupy Wall Street Movement
by Stephanie McMillan
Seven Stories Press
On sale October 16
Paperback, color
$16.95
9781609804527
Nonfiction, journalism
Adults
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Blacksad: A Silent Hell
by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido Dark Horse
Dark Horse
On sale July 18
Hardcover, 96 pages
9781595829313
Fiction
Adults
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Blue
by Pat Grant
Top Shelf
On sale now
Three-color, hardcover, 96 pages
$14.95
978-1603091534
Socially conscious fantasy
Teens and up
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Building Stories
by Chris Ware
Pantheon
On sale October 2
Color, mixed media, various pages
$50
978-0375424335
Fiction
Adults
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Cardboard
by Doug Tennapel
Graphix/Scholastic
On sale August 1
Full color, 288 pages
Hardcover $24.99
9780545418720
Paperback $12.99
9780545418737
Hardcover – $24.99
Adventure, fantasy
5th-9th grade, middle readers
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Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes
by Mary and Bryan Talbot
Dark Horse
On sale now
Color, hardcover, 96 pages
$14.99
978-1595828507
Nonfiction, memoir
Teens and up
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Drama
by Raina Telgemeier
Scholastic
On sale September 1
color, 240 pages
Hardcover $23.99
9780545326988
Paperback $10.99
9780545326995
School story, drama
Ages 10-14
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Economix: How and Why Our Economy Works (and Doesn’t Work), in Words and Pictures
by Michael Goodwin and Dan E. Burr
Abrams ComicArts
On sale September 1
Black and white, trade paper, 304 pages
$19.95
978-0810988392
Nonfiction
Teens and up
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Everything We Miss
by Luke Pearson
NoBrow Press
On sale June 12
Color, hardcover, 38 pages
$18
978-1907704178
Fiction
Older teens and up
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Geronimo Stilton Saves the Olympics
by Geronimo Stilton
Papercutz
On sale now
Hardcover, color, 56 pages
$9.99
9781597073196
Children’s, history, adventure
Ages 7-11
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The Graphic Canon, Volume 1: From the Epic of Gilgamesh to Shakespeare to Dangerous Liaisons
edited by Russ Kick
Seven Stories Press
On sale now
Color/BW, paperback, 512 pages
$34.95
978-1609803766
Literary adaptation
Teens and up
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Little White Duck
by Na Liu and Andrés Vera Marténez
Lerner Graphic Universe
On sale October 28
Hardcover, color, 108 pages
$29.27
978-0-7613-6587-7
Memoir, history
Ages 9-13, but should be interesting to adults as well
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Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me: A Graphic Memoir
by Ellen Forney
Gotham Books
On sale November 6
Black and white, hardcover, 256 pages
$20
978-1-592-40732-3
Nonfiction, memoir
Adults
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My Friend Dahmer
by Derf Backderf
Abrams ComicArts
On sale now
Black and white, paperback, 224 pages
$17.95
978-1419702174
Memoir, journalism
Teens and up
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Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me
by Harvey Pekar and JT Waldman
Hill and Wang
On sale July 10
Hardcover, black and white
$24.95
9780809094820
Memoir, history
Adults
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Saga
by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Image Comics
On sale fall 2012
Trade paperback, color
$ 9.99
978-1-60706-601-9
Fiction
Adults
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Sailor Twain
by Mark Siegel
First Second
On sale October 2
Hardcover, black and white
$24.99
9781596436367
Historical fiction, mythology
Adults
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Sakuran: Blossoms Wild
by Moyoco Anno
Vertical, Inc.
On sale July 17
Paperback, black and white with color pages, 308 pages
$16.95
978-1935654452
Manga, historical, adult
Ages 16+
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Saucer Country
by Paul Cornell and Ryan Kelly
Vertigo
On sale November 27
Paperback, color, 144 pages
$14.99
978-1401235499
Science fiction, politics
Adults
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The Secret of the Stone Frog
by David Nytra
Toon Books
On sale September 11
Black and white, hardcover, 80 pages
$14.95
978-1935179184
Fantasy
All ages (recommended for 8 and up)
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Tune: Vanishing Point
by Derek Kirk Kim
First Second
On sale November 13
Black and white, paperback
$16.99
978-1596435162
Fantasy
Teens and up
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The Underwater Welder
by Jeff Lemire
Top Shelf
On sale July 1
Paperback, 224 pages
9781603090742
$19.95
Fiction
Adults
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A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel
adapted and illustrated by Hope Larson
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
On sale October 2
Hardcover, tri-tone
$19.95
9780374386153
Fantasy
5th-10th grades, and all nostalgic adults
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The Year of the Beasts
by Cecil Castellucci and Nate Powell
Roaring Brook
On sale now
Hardcover, black and white
$16.99
9781596436862
Hybrid fiction, alternating comics and prose
Young adults
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Honorable Mentions
Alice in the Country of Hearts
by QuinRose
Yen Press
On sale now
Paperback, black and white, 368 pages
$18.99
978-0-316-21269-4
Manga, romance, fantasy
Teens
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A
merican Elf, Book 4: The Collected Sketchbook Diaries of James Kochalka, January 1, 2008–December 31, 2011
by James Kochalka
Top Shelf Productions
On sale August 27
Paperback, black and white, 384 pages
$24.95
978-1603092654
Slice of life, humor
Adults
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Angelman: Fallen Angel
by Nicholas Mahler
Fantagraphics
On sale June 11
Hardcover, 96 pages
$18.99
9781606995341
Fiction
Adults
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The Art of Daniel Clowes: Modern Cartoonist
edited by Alvin Buenaventura
Abrams ComicArts
On sale now
Color, hardcover, 224 pages
$40.00
978-1419702082
Reference, nonfiction
Mature teens and up
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Batman: Death by Design
by Chip Kidd and Dave Taylor
DC Comics
On sale now
Three-color, hardcover, 112 pages
$24.99
978-1401234539
Superheroes, fiction
Teens and up
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Batman: Earth One
by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank
DC Comics
On sale July 10
Hardcover, 144 pages
$22.99
9781401232085
Superheroes, fiction
Teens and up
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The Best of Enemies: A History of U.S. and Middle East Relations, Part One: 1783–1953
by Jean Pierre Filiu and David B.
SelfMadeHero Publication
On sale now
Black and white, hardcover, 120 pages
$24.95
978-1906838454
History
Teens and up
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The Coldest City
by Anthony Johnston and Sam Hart
Oni Press
On sale now
Hardcover, black and white, 176 pages
$19.99
978-1934964538
Spy thriller
Adults
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Crogan’s Loyalty
by Chris Schweizer
Oni Press
On sale now
Hardcover, black and white, 150 pages
$14.99
978-1934964408
History, children’s
All ages
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Gloriana
by Kevin Huizenga
Drawn & Quarterly
On sale June 19
B&W, hardcover, 96 pages
$19.95
978-1770460614
Fiction
Adults
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The Hypo: The Melancholic Young Lincoln
by Noah van Sciver
Fantagraphics
On sale October 5
Back and white, hardcover, 192 pages
$24.99
978-1606996195
Historical fiction
Teens and up
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Jiu Jiu
by Touya Tobina
Viz
On sale July 3
Paperback, black and white, 200 pages
$9.99
978-1421542744
Shoujo manga, romance, adventure, comedy
Older teens and up
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Kiki de Montparnasse
by Catel Muller and Jose-Luis Bocquet
Self Made Hero
On sale now
Black and white, paperback with flaps, 400p
$24.95
978-1906838256
Biography
Adults
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The Lovely Horrible Stuff
by Eddie Campbell
Top Shelf
On sale July 10
Color, trade paper, 96 pages
$14.95
978-1603091527
Nonfiction
Teens and up
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Maya Makes a Mess
by Rutu Modan
Toon Books
On sale August 14
Color, hardcover, 32 pages
$12.95
978-1935179177
Fiction
Ages 4 and up
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Philosophy: A Discovery in Comics
by Margreet de Heer
NBM
On sale September 1
Color, hardcover, 120 pages
$16.99
978-1561636983
Nonfiction, philosophy
Teens and up
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Richard Stark’s Parker: The Score
by Darwyn Cooke
IDW
On sale July 3
Hardcover, 160 pages
$24.99
9781613772089
Fiction
Adults
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Sumo
by Thien Pham
First Second
On sale December 11
Three-color, paperback, 112 pages
$14.99
978-1596435810
Fiction
Teens and up
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Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life
by Ulli Lust
Fantagraphics
On sale November 7
Black and white, trade paper, 400 pages
$35
978-1606995570
Memoir
Teens and up
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Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb
by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm
Hill and Wang
On sale now
Hardcover, 160 pages
$22.00
9780809094684
Nonfiction
Adults
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A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse
by Frank Viva
Toon Books/Candlewick
On sale September 1
Hardcover, color
$12.95
9781935179191
Kids
Ages 4-6
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WIZZYWIG
by Ed Piskor
Top Shelf Productions
On sale July 1
Hardcover, color
$19.95
9781603090971
Cyberpunk
Adults
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What a great list!
Lots to look forward to!
It was great to see the amazing amount of great material the panelists had to choose from. Each year, there’s been a noticeable increase of great books but this year looked like serious overload! It will be interesting to see how many of these books find their way onto the major awards programs for the book trade. Congrats the creators for the great works and thank you publishers for providing the opportunity. May there be a lot more of this to come!
Wow! There’s a lot of great stuff on that list!
And comics aren’t a mass medium because, why again??
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