Top Shelf Seasonal Sampler - 2007 - A Review

Are you tired of flashy tights in primary colors? Sick of the latest crossover? Want something a little deeper? Take a look at a free sampler of Top Shelf Productions 2007 books which may just have your answer to your comic book woes. The nicest part is that it is free.

This 264 monster preview book will give you a good idea as to what Top Shelf Productions has to offer. If you don’t know about Top Shelf, let me give you a little inside view.

Top Shelf Production is the brainchild of two people, Chris Staros and Brett Warnock. The two were active in the indy scene with Brett creating his own anthology series "Top Shelf," and his Chris was an agent for overseas comic creators along with running "The Staros Report," an annual report of innovative comic books. Together, they formed a publishing team in 1997 and have since releases a plethora of comic books and graphic novels, many of which have been nominated for and have won industry awards.

Add to that the addition of such talent as Alan Moore, James Kolchaka, Eddie Campbell, Brian Wood, and others, Top Shelf is a prime source of indy comics that will take you down paths different than their superhero counterparts.

This is a free sampler of the comics that have come out so far this year, comics due out, and teasers of what is to come in later years. The greatest thing is that the sampler is free to all. You can get it through their website or at the conventions they will be at this year. If you order from the website, however, you will be charged shipping – the cheapest was $5 for media mail - and $.01 for the book. I guess their system can’t handle free books.

Inside you’ll find some nice previews of their line. You’ll see some personal favorites in Jeff Lemire’s "Tales From Essex County," which is one of my favorites of the year so far. You'll also see some other mags such as James Kolchaka's "American Elf" and "Superf***ers," Jeffery Brown’s "Incredible Change-Bots" and "Feeble Attempts," Renee French's "Micrographica," Christian Slade's "Korgi," and Andy Runton's "Owly," to name a few – phew!

You’ll also see some teasers of some upcoming projects, such as the highly anticipated "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century," and Brian Wood’s "Dogs Day End." Also included is a brief history of Top Shelf, profiles of the artists, promotional art, and a history of their publications from 1994 to the present.

I would have given the sampler full stars, being free and all, but I wanted some more previews than the one page of Alan Moore's League and Brian Wood's Dogs Day, but I guess I just need to be thankful for what I did get.

If you are looking for a way to check out some new comic books of a different fanfare than you may be used to, then do yourself a favor and track down the Top Shelf Seasonal Sampler - 2007. It is a pretty cool way to see some different kinds of comics at a great price. That leaves you very little risk on your side with nothing but finding a gem or two in the process.