“Here are the female descendants of Wilhelm Busch’s Max and Moritz. Like Busch’s awful boys, it’s impossible not to cheer these two through all their silliness and well-deserved comeuppances.”

Booklist on Kinky & Cosy.

From Robot 6:

Chris Mautner: “You know who’s great? Lewis Trondheim. Trondheim continues to reveal his life to readers on a weekly basis over at his Web site (and the NBM blog), most of which has been collected in his “Little Nothings” series. The lastest book, My Shadow in the Distance, offers more of the same, and such a wonderful same it is.”

Also on Little Nothings, this from Don McPherson at Eyeoncomics:

“This collection of one-page, slice-of-life cartoons are eminently relatable, and the universality of Trondheim’s ‘toons becomes even more apparent when one considers this book is a translation of work originally crafted and presented in French.”

Bookgasm on Ernie Colon’s new Inner Sanctum, says it’s fun if be it predictable…:

“Colón’s art, however, is a pleasure throughout.” —Rod Lott 

Also on Inner Sanctum from Comics Bulletin:

“This book is a hell of a lot of fun, an anthology of wonderfully drawn short tales, all of which amuse and delight and feature terrific artwork. And Ernie Colón’s storytelling chops are still a glory to behold.”

Paste Magazine on Bubbles & Gondola: “7.2. Full of small surprises, pleasurably mopey.”

Stargazing Dog still gets comments, this from Warren Peace:

“It’s really nice to see a book like this get release on American shores, aspiring to neither high artistic statements or in-your-face excitement, but still lodging itself firmly in the heart.”

The Cleveland Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com calls Salvatore 2 a ‘delightful follow up.”

Ernie Colon gets an excellent interview over at Comics Bulletin by Jason Sacks. And Andrew “Captain Comics” Smith over at Scripps Howard News Service has this to say about it:

“[Colon] can scare the pants off you. I highly recommend “Inner Sanctum,” which ought to come with a reinforced belt.”

Smith (same review) also has come around on Salvatore. Where he hated vol.1, now with volume 2:

“An Eventful Crossing” has changed my mind entirely. All the stories are progressing dramatically and are holding my interest, and what I interpreted as inane, random dialogue in the first book has transformed into solid (and funny) characterization. I was wrong to dismiss this book as an artist’s self-indulgence, and hope now to correct my error. “Salvatore” is initially hard to embrace, because it is a story that refuses to conform to expectation and classification. But it’s that very quality that’s making it a unique and entertaining read for me now.”

Gene Ambaum at Unshelved, a site beloved by Librarians, recommends Trondheim’s Little Nothings 4:
“I read everything by Trondheim that’s available in English. But I would have picked this up for the cover alone.”

It is also reviewed at Playback:stl.

Comic Book Resources chooses Rohan at the Louvre as one of 12 to look forward to this year.

“Geary’s historical mysteries always sparkle with clarity, both in the artwork and plot.”

Joe Sutliff Sanders, Teacher Librarian on Geary’s Sacco & Vanzetti

Some great coverage begins as we’ve released Ernie Colon‘s Inner Sanctum to the world.

First off, a great interview is up on Comic Book Resources.

And also David-Wasting-Paper has an extensive overview of Colon’s career along with a few words with Colon as well.

Here’s what they say On Trondheim’s Little Nothings: “The humor is gentle and understated, full of appreciation for quiet moments, personal reflection, and self-deprecation. While each page could be considered a separate gag the effect is nothing like reading a collection of newspaper strips. Part of the reason is that the author is comfortable with letting a final moment on the page simply exist without ending, leaving you with a quiet smile and not locked in to that beat-beat-pause-punchline form that American comic strips slavishly follow. The book is an extremely easy read. You find moments that will make you think as well as plenty of moments that will make you smile. This isn’t a book that goes for the guffaw but rather the knowing wink. Readers will recognize these Little Nothings as moments that everyone has in their life, but it takes someone like Trondheim make us to realize how much we all should be paying more attention to them.”

 Of course, Little Nothings continues to be a once a week feature on this blog.

They also commented on Geary’s Sacco & Vanzetti: “Any book in Geary’s Murder series (A Treasury of XXth Century Murder or A Treasury of Victorian Murder) would be a great read for any teen or adult interested in historical fiction or true crime stories. His books are always meticulously researched and reported and his writing style is never dry – always lively and engaging. Mistaken identity, false imprisonment, doubt on both sides fill all of Rick’s stories to the point that the reader realizes that maybe they never really can know what truly happened.”

Speaking of Libraries: College & Research Library News also commented on Saco & Vanzetti in their November issue: “With a precise eye for detail and the ability to summarize a complex case with remarkable conciseness, Geary sets the standard for graphic historical narrative.”

TCJ.com is excited about our P. Craig Russell Opera set out this week.

And CBR’s Robot 6 is excited about our announcement of ROHAN AT THE LOUVRE, the next in the Louvre series, being solicited now in comics stores for February release.

“Indispensable”

Says The Onion AV Club on Geary’s Sacco & Vanzetti. And Jason Sacks of Comics Bulletin adds:

“If you know nothing about the trials of Sacco and Vanzetti, this book is a great introduction their story. If you know something about their trials, you should find this book a fascinating exploration of the case. And if you’ve never read anything by Geary, I think you’ll really enjoy the fascinating combination of objective reporting and personal artfulness that Rick Geary presents in this book.”

And on Trondheim’s Little Nothings 4:

“I thought this was the best volume since the first. This one features a bit more anxiety (a health scare) and a lot more action (many overseas trips). There’s a delightful mix of fussiness and craziness in his depiction of crossing through Death Valley on a journey from Las Vegas to San Francisco.  What’s remarkable about the Little Nothings series is not its light tone and loose line; instead, it’s that Trondheim creates such a complex, rich, and visually exciting narrative environment for himself and his readers to explore.”

Rob Clough at The Comics Journal.

Publishers Weekly (need sub) has chosen our about-to-ship Bubbles & Gondola for its recommended list of “comics and graphic novels as gifts 2011″.

DUNGEON LOVERS!! Thanks to Taliesin for taking a jump and establishing a thread on CBR over the Dungeon series. Go over there and get in on the conversation if you’re a Dungeon lover. Keep him company! Encourage others to join in! Get the word out! We’re gettin’ tired of hearing how this is overlooked (the series sells well but should sell a lot better!)

Comic Book Resources presents a good background article after interviewing Rick Geary on his forthcoming Sacco & Vanzetti.

The Sky Over the Louvre gets this review on The Comics Journal site by the very hard to please R. Fiore:

“In this year that is good God already half over I don’t think there’s anything in comics that’s impressed me more.”

But then, he couldn’t resist this swipe:

“I don’t know if you pay any more attention than I do to the seemingly random selection of European comics that NBM brings out.”

We’re curious: anyone out there agree with this? (Or disagree?)

We feel like we’ve focused our publishing considerably in the last 5-10 years and while we don’t have a ‘house style’ and proudly never will, we’ve concentrated on literary works, humor and parody of genre, steering away from genres themselves…

Booklist’s Ray Olson found Sky Over the Louvre to be brought off ‘with singular panache on the part of artist Yslaire… This is bravura serious caricature.” but found scripter Carriere’s story to fall somewhat short of its potential.

Comics Waiting Room meanwhile is effusive:

“An artistic tour-de-force, yet it also tells the most relatable story we’ve seen from these books so far. What makes SKY work so well is that the creators do a superb job of helping the reader understand the timeframe in which the story takes place. The motivations, the social mores, the clothing, the abject terror… it leaps off the page and surrounds you as you go through the pages.

Highly recommended. Just like all the previous books in the Louvre series.”

And so is Brigid Alverson over at Robot 6 on Comic Book Resources:

“Sky Over the Louvre is the latest in NBM’s series of translations of graphic novels about the Louvre, and I think it’s the best so far. It’s a great read and left me wanting more.”

And then there’s this nice review done live on a radio station in Michigan, here’s the transcript (it’s short).

“Creating an effective graphic novel about classic art is no simple task, requiring a writer capable of conveying the drama of the artistic process, and an artist up to the challenge of producing images that do justice to the subject matter. Fortunately, Yslaire and Carriere have both. Will reward those who seek it out.”

Publishers Weekly

“I love NBM’s Louvre graphic novels, so how could I resist The Sky Over the Louvre, the latest addition, which looks lush and beautiful.”

Brigid Alverson, Comic Book Resources

“If you like fictional worlds you can really get lost in, you owe it to yourself to check out Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim’s Dungeon.”

Says Playback:stl on the occasion of Dungeon Monstres #3

Miss Don’t Touch Me gets a few raves:

“The art, much like in the first volume, is wonderful – a bit more refined and tighter, but still retaining a charming cartoony look to it. Kerascoët moves easily from the artful and artificial world of the Pompadour to the squalor of the streets to the hothouse environment of the upper crust, and the details are tremendous.”

Comic Book Resources in a review that is particularly insightful and well thought out. Definitely go read this one!

“Delightfully audacious and risqué sequel. A compelling saga full of secrets, this engagingly sophisticated confection from writer/colorist Hubert, illustrated with irrepressible panache by Kerascoet (artistic collaborators Marie Pommepuy and Sébastien Cosset) will further delight the wide variety of grown-up readers who made the first book such a popular and critical success.”

Now Read This!

Meanwhile on Salvatore by De Crecy:

“Thematically brilliant and visually stunning, De Crécy elevates the genre of funny animal comics far past general public perception. Self-deprecating, razor-sharp, and at times truly laugh-out-loud funny, Salvatore: Transports of Love is one of my favorite books offered by NBM in the last few months.

The funny thing about it is that if De Crécy chose to cast humans in the main roles, Salvatore wouldn’t work nearly so well. The story of a love-besotted, fondue-slurping hermit-mechanic, who builds the ultimate mode of transportation to drive, sail, and soar across the world to his beloved wouldn’t resonate the same way if the protagonist was Ben Stiller or Seth Rogen. The plot’s just too ludicrous. What better way to make the medicine go down than by couching it in an innocuous world of grotesquely cute talking animals?”

The Broken Frontier

Yowza, it’s raves like these that remind us what we toil for!