TCAF is rapidly approaching, which means a first look at books that are making their debut at the show. Here are a few that I’m very interested in getting my hands on:

1. This One Summer, by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki – a slice-of-life story about two friends on summer vacation; Jillians’ beautiful artwork combined with smart dialogue should make this a joy for any comics reader. Published by First Second.

2. A Body Beneath, by Michael DeForge – anthology collecting Lose #2-5. I haven’t read any of Lose, and I avoided buying #4 and #5 at SPACE because this book will be at TCAF. Ant Colony was great and I really liked Very Casual, so I’m excited to get more of DeForge’s work. You can check out my recent review of his The Boy in Question here. Published by Koyama Press.

3. Weapons of Mass Diplomacy, by Abel Lanzac and Christophe Blain –  a story focused on the time right after September 11th, 2001, and the French response to the Iraq invasion. I’m interested in this unique French perspective. It has already done quite well in Europe. Published by SelfMadeHero.

4.Celeste by  I.N.J. Culbard – A science fiction? graphic novel that looks absolutely stunning. Culbard has illustrated Vertigo comics as well as classic fiction adaptions like Sherlock Holmes and The Portrait of Dorian Gray. This work seems much more ambitious than his previous work. Published by SelfMadeHero.

5. Safari Honeymoon by Jesse Jacobs – from the guy who wrote By This You Shall Know Him, Safari Honeymoon looks absolutely gorgeous. Previews have been just the right mix of fun, creepy, and absurd. Published by Koyama Press.

6. Andre the Giant: Life and Legend by Box Brown  – I’ve only recently stumbled upon Box Brown’s comics through the Retrofit 2014 Comics Subscription, but the stuff I have read has been really cool. It’s clear that Box is a wrestling fan based on the illustrations on his blog, so I’m excited to see his take on this iconic man. Published by First Second.

7. Haunter by Sam Alden – This is Sam’s first longform comic I’ve read, and boy howdy is it great. Published originally online, Alden’s beautiful watercolors make this comic a real feast for the eyes. Published by Study Group Comics.

Are there any books I didn’t list that you are looking forward to purchasing at TCAF?