Indie Edge: Neat Stuff and Dylan Dog

by Andrea Purcell

If you've ever browsed through a PREVIEWS catalog, you know how packed full each issue can be. It's so packed, that you might have overlooked a choice comic tucked away on one of its many pages. There are so many sections to look through each month, it can be almost impossible to search out all of the awesome comic books that you want to pre-order at your local comic shop. The Indie Edge column is made to help by taking a look at just some (and trust us, there's a lot) of the amazing small press, alternative, and indie titles currently available in this month's catalog!

The "indie" umbrella can be wide, and these comics cover a lot of different story types and styles, but you can find just about any comic you've ever wanted and maybe a few you never knew you needed. Take a look at the books highlighted below and if anything is begging to be read, wander over to your local comic shop to pre-order these comics and anything else from this month's PREVIEWS catalog!

There’s so much to choose from in May’s Indie Edge column! With everything from recollected classics and horror to female crime comics, this month’s PREVIEWS catalog is full of amazing books that you might have overlooked. Dive into the small press side of comics with Indie Edge!

Dylan Dog: Mater Morbi

The classic Italian horror comic character Dylan Dog is making its way back to America shores in Dylan Dog Mater Morbi (MAY161499). Translated by Epicenter Comics, Mater Morbi sees Dylan contracting an obscure and sudden illness that appears to be fatal. With limited time left to save himself he begins a journey to find a solution, but the only way to cure him once and for all may be to face the creature that’s killing him. If he wants to survive this fatal illness he must venture into a place on the edge of death - with no guarantee of return! A deviously morbid comic with more than a little heart, Dylan Dog is the original paranormal paramour.  

Terra Flats #1

A glimpse into the everyday life of best friends Vee and Pony, Alternative Comics new series by Jason Fischer is Broad City and Girls meets Dungeons and Dragons. Terra Flats #1 (MAY161051) starts with two suiters competing for Vee’s affection, a vampire named Drake and Komo the dragon. When her two suitors refuse to see eye to eye, sparks and spells start flying and Vee’s caught right in the middle! It’s up to Vee and Pony to find a solution to this dilemma of dating. Equal parts romantic and magical, you won’t want to miss out on this fun and fanciful new series.

The Complete Neat Stuff Box Set

Fantagraphics is giving Peter Bagge the box set treatment and collecting his early series Neat Stuff. A deluxe two volume slipcased set, The Complete Neat Stuff Box Set (MAY161505) is the perfect companion piece to the recently released Complete Eightball by Bagge’s contemporary Daniel Clowes. Running from 1985 to 1989, the stories of Girly Girl, Chickie-Boy, Studs Kirby, and the Bradleys captivated fans of the early grunge scene and pushed Bagge into the spotlight as a creator. While the story of the Bradley was continued in Bagge’s long running series Hate, fans of early alternative comics will want to explore the origin of Buddy Bradley and his kin. Featuring all new artwork and annotations by Bagge, The Complete Neat Stuff is the definitive edition of a genre-bending classic.  

Wilson

A new edition of Daniel Clowes' modern alternative classic Wilson (MAY161454) is coming to comic shops from Drawn & Quarterly. Set to coincide with the release of the Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern film version, fans are sure to enjoy this new paperback that contains one of Clowes’ finest works. Drawn as single page gags and in a wide range of styles, explore the world of an outspoken and oblivious egoist with no regard for the world around him. Daring readers to sympathize with him, the downward spiral of Wilson is a glorious train wreck created by a master cartoonist at the height of his prowess.  

Kim and Kim #1

An all-female creative team, including Magdalene Visaggio and Eva Cabrera, head up Black Mask Studios latest offering, Kim and Kim #1 (MAY161208). This caper comic puts the voices of queer and trans women front and center as two best friends try to make a name for themselves in the world of international bounty hunting. The high stake bounty they hijack is more than it seems and the title characters and best friends end up way over their heads. A crime comic that glows neon, Kim and Kim is a series that focuses on the validation of women and refuses to back down.