Time, dear readers, to explore Diamond’s expansive Previews catalog for comics theoretically shipping in July 2009.

Glamourpuss #8 from Dave Sim is available through Aarvark-Vanaheim.

AC Comics has an omnibus edition of the first nine issues of Femforce from 1985, which I’ve never read but has been around for over twenty years, so it must have some fans. Amaze Ink/SLG ships Gargoyles vol. 2: Clan Building, with several issues of unpublished material.

Archaia Studios is apparently off life support, with the second Mouse Guard collection, Winter 1152 available in hardcover.

If you’re trade waiting, Roger Langridge’s The Muppet Show gets collected by Boom in July. Same with Mark Waid’s first Incredibles miniseries and Boom’s initial Cars series.

Big Questions #12 from Anders Nilson and John Stanley Library: Nancy vol. 1 highlight Drawn & Quarterly’s offerings.

E.C. Segar’s most famous storyline is collected in a single volume in Popeye vol. 4: Plunder Island from Fantagraphics. I can’t believe that we’re already halfway through the run – I’m going to miss not having more Segar to look forward to.

Jim Ottaviani’s own GT Labs publishes the comic biography of Niels Bohr, Suspended in Language. It’s easily one of July’s most anticipated books. Check it out – Ottaviani’s a terrific nonfiction comics writer.

Following on Spain’s recent Che Guevara biography, Emotional Content will be shipping Biographical Novel: Che Guevara by Kiyoshi Konno and Chie Shimano, and Hill and Wang reteam After 9/11’s Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon for Che: A Graphic Biography. If Spain’s book hasn’t done so already, there’re two more books to sate your need for revolutionary leaders cum t-shirt icons. Nelson Mandela: The Authorized Comic Book, from W.W. Norton, continues to recent trend of biographical sketches in graphic novel form.

Likely one of the most anticipated books from the back of the catalog, the first of Darwyn Cooke’s adaptations of Richard Stark’s novels appears from IDW. The Hunter clocks in at 144 pages, $25 of thriller goodness. Cooke’s also the focus of TwoMorrows’ Modern Masters vol. 2: Darwyn Cooke, giving readers over a hundred pages of interview with Cooke and artwork.

The Imposter’s Daughter: A True Memoir, by Laurie Sandell from Little, Brown and Company, looks like the latest compelling graphic novel memoir. What if every story your father told you turned out to be a lie? How does that affect you, the being shaped by those fictions?

Two big collections for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in celebration of the Turtles’ 25^th anniversary: TMNT 25^th Anniversary by Kevin Eastman ships from Heavy Metal, collecting Turtle co-creator Eastman’s “personal favorite” Turtles stories, each remastered, retouched and colored by Eastman. From Mirage, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Collected Book One collects all of Eastman and co-creator Peter Laird’s first elevent TMNT issues and four “micro-series” into 540 pages of B&W Turtle asskicking.

Neil Kleid’s latest book, The Big Kahn (it’s a pun!), tells of Rabbi David Kahn, who spends forty years pretending to be something he’s not: Jewish. NBM publishes.

Jeff Smith, creator of the award-winning, million-selling Bone, has a children’s book from Raw Junior: Little Mouse Gets Ready. It’s Jeff Smith, so you know it’ll be amazing.

I won’t believe it until I see it myself, but Rude Dude claims Nexus: Space Opera Acts 3 & 4 will be out in July. Originally solicited to appear in Nexus #101 and 102, both chapters are collected into a single issue here, so there will be no more year-ish long delays before the end of the Space Opera arc.

Top Shelf looks to capitalize on the upcoming Bruce Willis The Surrogates film, with a new edition of the original The Surrogates book and a sequel, The Surrogates vol. 2: Flesh and Bone by creators Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele.

In the front half of Previews, you find:

For me, the most exciting project from Dark Horse is the new Hernandez Brothers miniseries. Co-writer Mario and co-writer/artist Gilbert collaborate on Citizen Rex #1, beginning six issues of robots, synthetic limbs, gossip columnists and mafia comic goodness. 3 Story: The Secret History of the Giant Man, by Matt Kindt, tackles the life and times of Craig Pressgang, and legendary Sandman cover artist Dave McKean’s collection of short, experimental comics Pictures That Tick demands attention. Also, readers may want to know about Star Wars: Invasion #1, a new series set during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, three new Hellboy projects (BPRD: 1974 #1 (by Mike Mignola, Josh Dysart, Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba), Witchfinder #1 (Mignola and Ben Stenbeck) and the novel Hellboy: The Ice Wolves, by Mark Chadbourn (with spot illos by Hellboy artist Duncan Fegredo), a new collection of Guy Davis’s The Marquis: Inferno (a strong piece of gothic horror), and the all new Creepy #1. Look for Noir, a new anthology of crime fiction with work from Brian Azzarello, Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Jeff Lemire, Paul Grist, Rick Geary and more top-notch creators, and Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba’s second Umbrella Academy collection.

Wednesday Comics debuts from DC with four issues in July. Plenty of info here on the site, but to me, Wednesday Comics is the first really exciting non-Vertigo project DC’s had in a while. If I went to a comic shop regularly, I’d be tempted to not trade-wait it. Blackest Night #1, by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis, arrives, sure to be the month’s top seller. Hope everyone enjoys it. A second Gotham Central hardcover, Jokers and Madmen, collects twelve issues of the series spotlighting Gotham’s finest. It’s odd to me that Superman: New Krypton vol. 2 is only $5 less than Gotham Central, but collects half as many issues. How are these prices figured? (I shouldn’t complain; it’ll probably lead to higher prices on GC rather than lower prices on six-issue trades!) Tom Strong Deluxe Edition vol. 1 is a hardcover collection of the first twelve issues of Alan Moore’s Tom Strong series. Is it too much to hope that a second volume will only collect Alan’s stories, and the non-Moore stories can get their own, separate edition? New from Vertigo: Greek Street #1, a new monthly from Peter Milligan and Davide Gianfelice and a deluxe hardcover of the first year of Fables.

Image co-founder Erik Larsen reaches the 150 issue plateau with his long-running adventure series Savage Dragon. Hell of an accomplishment: Congrats, Erik. Hardcover collections of Dan Brereton’s Nocturnals: The Dark Forever and Other Stories and Jimmie Robinson’s Bomb Queen Omnibust should arrive in stores. Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic collaborate on the 125^th issue of Witchblade, which shows that nearly naked women and blades have much more appeal than I’d have figured ten years ago.

Marvel’s biggest news is the final issue of Eric Shanower and Skottie Young’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which means my trade waiting is nearly over!  Amazing Spider-Man reaches its 600th issue.  So, apparently, does Incredible Hulk, although I’ve seen a few question exactly what numbering system led to that count.  Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr.’s Spider-man Newspaper Strips collects the amazing tandem’s 1977-1980 run on the daily Spider-Man newspaper strip.

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