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This month marks the tenth Free Comic Book Day.  The first debuted during the perfect storm of Spider-Man and Book Expo America New York.  Ten years later, we see a plethora of movies based on well-known and obscure comic books, as well as numerous books aimed at young readers.  (Of the 37 comics being offered during Free Comic Book Day, at least 21 of 37 are kid-friendly.)  Ten years ago, comics were still a sideline medium, garnering some press.  Today, there are bestseller lists, and book publishers such as Rizzoli, Abrams, and Random House have joined the burgeoning market dominated by DC, Marvel, and others.

I don’t know what was offered back in May 2002.  I do remember DC Comics announcing All-Star Batman at Book Expo, but the other titles featured in the first ever Graphic Novel Pavilion are a haze.  Perhaps I’ll do a look back.  Meanwhile…

The following is a selection of new comics titles due to be published in May 2011.   This list is not comprehensive, just what I’ve discovered browsing the Internet.  Below, you’ll find selected titles which caught my interest.  If you would like to browse forthcoming graphic novels and related books at your leisure, click here. These are not necessarily titles I will purchase, but which I will definitely look at once they arrive at my local comics shop or bookstore.

If you click that link above, you’ll see all the graphic novels at BN.com, sorted by date.  Lots of  graphic novels (and related books) scheduled from May to December.  Of course, there will be even more titles added and announced in time for the Holidays!  (You might want to use your tax return to buy some bookshelves.)

Please be advised that publication dates are not set in stone, titles may change, and covers may be altered. Also, your local comics shop might receive copies before your local neighborhood website or library.  I consider my tastes to be rather eclectic. If you feel I’ve neglected or slighted a title, publisher, or creator, please feel free to mention it in the comments below. Yes, you may promote your own work, but please include the ISBN for easy searching (and shopping!)

Disclaimer: I am employed by Barnes & Noble. This and any other posts by me at this site have no official connection to B&N.   As always, feel free to send us your PR. Even better, send us some free books!

Super Amoeba (Squish Series #1)
by Jennifer L. Holm, Matt Holm

  • $ 12.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
  • Format: Library Binding, 96pp
  • ISBN-13: 9780375937835
  • ISBN: 0375937838

Beauty and the Squat Bears
by Emile Bravo

Archie: Seven Decades of America’s Favorite Teenagers… and Beyond!
by Craig Yoe, Bob Bolling, Sam Schwartz, Dan DeCarlo, Bob Montana

  • $ 49.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Idea & Design Works, LLC
  • Format: Hardcover, 224pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781600107542
  • ISBN: 1600107540

Barks’ Bear Book
by Carl Barks, Craig Yoe, Jeff Smith

  • $ 34.99
  • Pub. Date: June 2011
  • Publisher: Idea & Design Works, LLC
  • Format: Hardcover, 220pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781600109294
  • ISBN: 1600109292

Garfield and Co. #1: The Catfish (Garfield Graphic Novels)
by Peter Berts, Baptiste Heidrich, Mark Evanier, Ellipsanime Ellipsanime

Page by Paige
by Laura Lee Gulledge

  • $ 18.95
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Amulet Books
  • Format: Hardcover, 192pp
  • ISBN-13: 9780810997219
  • ISBN: 0810997215

Amity Blamity: Book One, Volume 1
by Mike White

  • $ 10.95
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: SLG Publishing
  • Format: Paperback, 160pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781593622091
  • ISBN: 1593622090

Jack and the Zombie Box
by Mike Barentine, Bruce Brown, Sean Patrick O’Reilly, Rafel Hurtado

  • $ 5.95
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Arcana Studio Incorporated
  • Format: Paperback, 46pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781926914015
  • ISBN: 1926914015

Delirium’s Party: A Little Endless Storybook
by Jill Thompson

  • $ 14.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: DC Comics
  • Format: Hardcover , 64pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781401224776
  • ISBN: 1401224776

Taskmaster: Unthinkable
by Fred Van Lente, Jefte Palo

  • $ 14.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Marvel Enterprises, Inc.
  • Format: Paperback, 112pp
  • ISBN-13: 9780785152606
  • ISBN: 0785152601

Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer

  • $ 100.00
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Idea & Design Works, LLC
  • Format: Hardcover, 136pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781600108334
  • ISBN: 1600108334
  • Edition Description: Artist’s Edition

Origins of Marvel Comics
by Fred Van Lente, John Romita, Leinil Francis Yu, Alan Davis, Greg Land

  • $ 24.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Marvel Enterprises, Inc.
  • Format: Paperback, 272pp
  • ISBN-13: 9780785156154
  • ISBN: 0785156151

Flash Omnibus By Geoff Johns, Volume 1
by Geoff Johns, Scott Kollins, Doug Hazlewood, Angel Unzuetta

  • $ 75.00
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: DC Comics
  • Format: Hardcover, 448pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781401230685
  • ISBN: 1401230687

S. H. I. E. L. D.: Architects of Forever
by Jonothan Hickman, Dusten Weaver

  • $ 24.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Marvel Enterprises, Inc.
  • Format: Hardcover, 192pp
  • ISBN-13: 9780785148944
  • ISBN: 0785148949

Adventures of Dr. McNinja: Night Powers
by Chris Hastings, Benito Cereno, Les McClaine

  • $ 19.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
  • Format: Paperback, 232pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781595827098
  • ISBN: 1595827099

Captain America: Operation Rebirth
by Mark Waid, Ron Garney

  • $ 24.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Marvel Enterprises, Inc.
  • Format: Hardcover, 264pp
  • ISBN-13: 9780785150800
  • ISBN: 0785150803

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes: Harnessing Our Power to Change the World
by Deepak Chopra, Gotham Chopra

  • $ 25.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Format: Hardcover, 176pp
  • ISBN-13: 9780062059666
  • ISBN: 0062059661

The New Avengers 100 Project
by

  • $ 12.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Hero Initiative
  • Format: Paperback, 120pp
  • ISBN-13: 9780979760228
  • ISBN: 0979760224

Ziggy Marley’s Marijuanaman
by Ziggy Marley, Joe Casey, Jim Mahfood

  • $ 24.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Image Comics
  • Format: Hardcover, 48pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781607063704
  • ISBN: 1607063700

Miss Fury
by Tarpe Mills

  • $ 49.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Idea & Design Works, LLC
  • Format: Hardcover, 240pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781600109058
  • ISBN: 1600109055

Bizarro Heroes
by Dan Piraro

  • $ 11.95
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Last Gasp of San Francisco
  • Format: Paperback, 100pp
  • ISBN-13: 9780867197563
  • ISBN: 0867197560

Bat Boy: The Weekly World News Comic Strips by Peter Bagge
by Peter Bagge

  • $ 17.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Idea & Design Works, LLC
  • Format: Hardcover, 104pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781600108969
  • ISBN: 1600108962

The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media
by Brooke Gladstone, Josh Neufeld

  • $ 23.95
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
  • Format: Hardcover, 192pp
  • ISBN-13: 9780393077797
  • ISBN: 0393077799

The Ralph Steadman Book of Dogs
by Ralph Steadman

  • $ 24.00
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
  • Format: Hardcover, 96pp
  • ISBN-13: 9780547534251
  • ISBN: 0547534256

The Wisdom of Dog
by Murray Ball

  • $ 19.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Hatchette New Zealand
  • Format: Hardcover, 388pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781869711962
  • ISBN: 1869711963

Empire State: A Love Story (or Not)
by Jason Shiga

  • $ 17.95
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Abrams ComicArts
  • Format: Hardcover, 144pp
  • ISBN-13: 9780810997479
  • ISBN: 0810997479

Safe Area Gorazde: The Special Edition
by Joe Sacco

  • $ 29.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
  • Format: Hardcover, 272pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781606993965
  • ISBN: 1606993968

400 BC: The Story of the Ten Thousand
by Lewis Helfand, Lalit Kumar Singh

  • $ 9.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Steerforth Press
  • Format: Paperback, 72pp
  • ISBN-13: 9789380028613
  • ISBN: 938002861X

Paying for It
by Chester Brown

  • $ 24.95
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
  • Format: Hardcover, 292pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781770460485
  • ISBN: 1770460489

Approximate Continuum Comics
by Lewis Trondheim

  • $ 18.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
  • Format: Paperback, 160pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781606994108
  • ISBN: 1606994107

Life with Mr. Dangerous
by Paul Hornschemeier

  • $ 22.00
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
  • Format: Hardcover, 160pp
  • ISBN-13: 9780345494412
  • ISBN: 0345494415

Anti-Capitalism
by Ezequiel Adamovsky

  • $ 14.95
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Seven Stories Press
  • Format: Paperback, 176pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781609800871
  • ISBN: 1609800877

Jinx: the Essential Collection
by Brian Michael Bendis

  • $ 24.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Marvel Enterprises, Inc.
  • Format: Hardcover
  • ISBN-13: 9780785156727
  • ISBN: 0785156720

30 Days of Night Collector’s Set
by Ben Templesmith, Steve Niles

  • $ 39.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Idea & Design Works, LLC
  • Format: Hardcover, 392pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781600109652
  • ISBN: 1600109659

Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths
by Shigeru Mizuki

  • $ 24.95
  • Pub. Date: April 2011
  • Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
  • Format: Paperback, 368pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781770460416
  • ISBN: 1770460411

Milton Caniff’s Male Call
by Milton Caniff

  • $ 39.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Hermes Press
  • Format: Hardcover, 156pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781932563580
  • ISBN: 193256358X

Genius, Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth
by Alex Toth, Dean Mullaney, Bruce Canwell

  • $ 49.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Idea & Design Works, LLC
  • Format: Hardcover, 328pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781600108280
  • ISBN: 1600108288

Alan Moore: Storyteller
by Millidge Gary Spencer, Michael Moorcock

Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga, Gift Edition
by Frederik L. Schodt

  • $ 29.95
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: Stone Bridge Press
  • Format: Hardcover, 360pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781933330952
  • ISBN: 1933330953
  • Edition Description: Gift Edition

Walt before Mickey: Disney’s Early Years, 1919-1928
by Timothy S. Susanin, Diane Disney Miller

  • $ 35.00
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
  • Format: Hardcover, 384pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781604739602
  • ISBN: 1604739606

Sketch Card Mania: How To Create Your Own Original Collectible Trading Cards
by Randy Martinez, Denise Vasquez

  • $ 24.99
  • Pub. Date: May 2011
  • Publisher: F+W Media, Inc.
  • Format: Paperback, 128pp
  • ISBN-13: 9781440303920
  • ISBN: 1440303924

1 COMMENT

  1. Nice round up, thanks. Does anyone know if Dreamland Japan is updated at all? I remember reading it in the 90s and it was a good guide to manga.

  2. Nice round up, thanks. Does anyone know if Dreamland Japan is updated at all? I remember reading it in the 90s and it was a good guide to manga.

  3. Paul Hornschemeier is an underappreciated A-list talent. His new book, “Life with Mr. Dangerous” (portions of which were previously anthologized), is a guaranteed good read.

  4. Free Comic Book Day might have started out as a good idea, but it has quickly turned into over-crowded store day where people who show up get insanely poor comics filled with ads and mini-stories, which is not what good comics of today are about.

    Luckily, A Comic Shop from Orlando, FL is looking to fix that. They have “Free Comic Book May” where you get a stamp card in addition to your free comics on FCBD. Then if you come next week you get a free regular, full-length Marvel/DC comic. Then if you come the next week after that, you get a free indie book. Then if you have all three stamps you gain entry to a fun party in The Geek Easy (it’s like a Speak Easy sports bar but with no sports and no prohibition) with games and prizes.

    This is insanely genius and they are trying to get the whole nation to participate, and I hear they have a few stores also will to join in the fun.