Recommendations from the Top Shelf $3 Sale

SPX may be over for another year, but finding and picking up great comics never rests!

Once again, Top Shelf, one of my favorite publishers, is putting together a massive sale from their back catalog, with books as cheap as $3 and some of their smaller comics going for only a buck!

As in past years, they've even added a section for some great books at a big discount. While not $3, they're chances to get some of the top books that they've published at a significant savings.

You can see the entire list of sale books here. I'll talk about some of my recommendations below. Don't delay--some books will run out and the sale itself ends on September 27th. This is a great chance to pick up things you may have missed or find a few new favorites.

SPECIAL PRICES

  • I mentioned that everyone should read a copy of March Book 1. Well, you can now do so for only $7.50. This story of Civil Rights is not to be missed.
  • We Can Fix It is a great memoir that talks about sex and the way we dwell on memory. Jess Fink is a great artist and this one is also only $7.50
  • SuperFuckers has been collected into a trade, and if you love James Kochalka, have a look at his incredibly funny raunchy side with this Legion of Superheroes parody, collected together for $8.
  • Blue was an underrated hit for me, though I didn't get a chance to review it at the time. It's a book that's partly funny, partly a commentary on the idea of the alien "ruining" things when they "invade" what is perceived as normal reality. A great book for $5.
  • If you love Alan Moore but missed the latest League work--it's only $5 each for the League Century books.
  • Carnet de Voyage is my favorite Craig Thompson book. Both a travelogue and an introspective, it's $5.


COST OF A STARBUCKS (aka $3 EACH)

  • The Lovely Horrible Stuff finds Eddie Campbell reflecting quite personally on the nature of money and its role in our lives, done in his great pencil-watercolor style and flowing like his brushwork across ideas and themes.
  • If you want to see Manga on the edge, Ax is now down to only $3, and that works out to like a penny a page, which is unreal. Anyone who likes both manga and alternative comics ala Josh Bayer need to get this, no excuses.
  • Wanna find the various Jeffrey Brown stories that appeared in anthologies and things like that? Undeleted Scenes is what you need.
  • If you love Bandette, don't pass go, but do pay 300 cents for Gingerbread Girl, by the team of Tobin and Coover.
  • Both of Brown's Incredible Change-Bots books (review of one here, review of two here) are available, and if you liked Transformers and want to see them as whiny, selfish shits, this is the place to go. Plus you can watch how Brown's art progresses from one to the other!
  • BB Wolf and the 3 LPs blends a classic fairy tale, blues music, the spectre of racism, and incredible art. This is one of my favorite Top Shelf books.
  • For good measure, you can also get Three Fingers (Koslowski's animation homage/parody) and The King (my favorite book about Elvis) on sale as well.
  • Digging X-O Manowar and want more of Robert Venditti? Oh man, go grab The Surrogates right now. A dystopia with strong science fiction and a great noir mystery plot, the first book is amazing and the second book is good and both will fit right in with your Valiant collections.
  • Fox Bunny Funny is something I reviewed AGES go, but I still love it, and it's on sale, too. A great and surprising tale of identity.
  • You can't go wrong with Scott Morse, and here's a chance to get one of his older books, Barefoot Serpent, on sale.


ONLY A DAMNED DOLLAR

  • Lone Racer is a great story about a man past his prime who's trying to make himself relevant one last time. Anyone growing older can appreciate this. A hidden gem in the Top Shelf Catalog.
  • More Jeffrey Brown is available, so if you're a fan and don't have Sulk yet, they're $1 a piece right now. They come highly recommended from Erica, who has read all of Brown's work.
  • Conversation 1 and 2 find Jeffrey Brown debating and alternating art duties with Craig Thompson (1) and Jeffrey Brown (2). Those are steals at only a buck a piece.
  • Black Ghost Apple Factory is a fun and quirky relationship comic with several stories.
  • All Flee belongs on the bookshelf of any kaiju fan, and you can get it for a hell of a lot less than a movie ticket--or even a discounted DVD. Simon Gane working on alt comix and showing the skills he used on IDW's Godzilla series.


There are plenty of good things in the sale--these are just a  few of the highlights from my perspective. Poke around the list and find some favorites of your own and enjoy a fall filled with great comic bargains from an awesome publisher.