Travelling Man

The UK's friendliest comic book store. Come visit us in Leeds, York, Manchester & Newcastle!

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Hey Manchester/Leeds/York/Newcastle! I’ll be celebrating the release of my new @graphixbooks book GLITCH with @travellingmanuk at four signings over the weekend of May 18th/19th! We’ll have free Izzy enamel pins and signed bookplates for everyone who picks up a copy of the book too! The dates in full are: Saturday 18th May, 11am-1pm Travelling Man York Saturday 18th May, 4-6pm Travelling Man Newcastle Sunday 19th May, 11am-1pm Travelling Man Leeds Sunday 19th May, 3-5pm Travelling Man Manchester Hopefully I’ll see you there to celebrate the release of Glitch in style!

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We are so excited to have Sarah back with us in May!

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REVIEW: Behind You: One-shot Horror Stories by Brian Coldrick Publisher: IDW Ages: Teen+ Our Price: £14.50 Of all the things to be afraid of – spiders, clowns, the geopolitical state of the world, and so on – there's none more potent, and none more universal, than fear of the unknown. Some of the best horror uses this to startling effect, letting your brain pick up the slack of filling dark corners with shapes pulled direct from the dark recesses of your mind. Behind You, Brian Coldrick's chilling collection, captures this feeling over and over again, moving the camera just a touch in order to let you take in the fright of whatever is making the noise over your shoulder. Behind You is a series of single-panel horror stories, each one tapping into that primal fear that something is lurking just outside your vision, and it can see you just fine. Coldrick's style brings to mind Junji Ito – distorted, distended limbs, elongated necks and vulpine mouths litter the shadows, and the mundanity of the everyday is sharply contrasted by the unfathomable lurking phantoms on every page. It's amazing how many different flavours of fear Coldrick manages to offer up on these pages – there is melancholy, abject terror, revulsion and every other variety of dread you could possibly desire. The economy of Behind You is impressive – with one or two sentences and an arresting image, you are given a full story, a moment of apprehension and anxiety frozen for you to savour. Behind You shows that to do horror, you don't need pages and pages of gothic scene-setting or centuries of lore, just a well drawn page, a clear idea, and the niggling feeling that there's something in your peripheral vision. Give it a read when you're home alone on a cold and windy night – I'm sure there won't be anything reading over your shoulder. -Matt Barker Travelling Man Leeds

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REVIEW: Escape the Dark Castle by Thomas Pike, Alex Crispin & James Shelton Players: 1-4 Ages: 14+ Playtime: 20-45min Our Price: £29.99 As the first licensed game from tabletop studio Themeborne, Escape the Dark Castle is already set to be a cult classic. Originally funded through Kickstarter, this co-op tabletop is a throwback to the choose-your-own-adventure books originally made popular in the 80’s and 90’s. Designers and co-creators Thomas Pike, Alex Crispin and James Shelton pair a unique, scratch-effect art style with a compelling story, making each new play-through a nail-biting and unique experience. Players take on the roles of prisoners trapped in the depths of the dark castle. Each player chooses a unique player card, with a character dice reflecting three stats. Working together to use their might, wisdom and cunning, the players must make decisions, fight enemies, gather items and outsmart foes as they travel through the different chapter cards, eventually working their way to the boss guarding the exit. The base game includes 3 boss cards, 45 chapter cards and 35 item cards, creating enough replayability to keep things fresh time and time again. To add even more variation, the game already has one expansion Adventure Pack available - Cult of the Death Knight - which adds a brand new boss, three player characters, fifteen unique chapter cards and five items, including 'curse' cards that can hinder your progress. If that's not enough, two more expansion Adventure packs - Scourge of the Undead Queen and Blight of the Plague Lord - have just recently been funded through Kickstarter, and should be available in retail soon. With a heavy focus on accessibility, co-operation and storytelling, this is definitely one to look out for; it's without a doubt one of my personal favourites, and I for one can't wait to see what they come out with next! -Elliott Woodward Travelling Man Newcastle

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We are very excited to be teaming up with Avery Hill and hosting two of our favourite artists on the launch of their new graphic novels - and all on the evening before Thought Bubble! Kristyna Baczynski and Katriona Chapman will be signing copies of Retrograde Orbit and Follow Me In (respectively), as well as exhibiting some of their artwork from the creation of the two projects. Travelling Man will have exclusive signed and numbered bookplates to give away with copies of the books too, so come hang out, have a drink and get in the comics mood for an awesome weekend! Oh, and be sure to join the Facebook event here. 

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REVIEW: Hey, that’s my Fish! by Alvydas Jakeliunas & Günter Cornett Players: 2-4 Ages: 8+ Playtime: 20min Our Price: £11.99 A fun and easy all-ages game, the goal is to have your penguins collect as many fish as possible before the ice floes melt. The player moves their penguin in a straight line across the tiles, collecting the piece they land on. Slowly this shrinks the playing field of course, and smart players can easily trap enemy penguins by removing tiles around them. Once your penguin is stuck like this, they’re out of the game! When no penguins can make any more moves, each player tallies up the amount of fish on their tiles and whoever has the most wins. Simple! It’s a nice quick game, with cute artwork and very sweet little penguin models. But be warned, if you think you’re going to beat your younger relatives easily in this you might be surprised. Cunning players will have all your birds stuck on the ice in no time! -Abby Ryder Travelling Man Manchester

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REVIEW: Head Lopper vol.1 by Andrew Maclean & Mike Spicer Publisher: Image Comics Ages: 12+ Our Price: £16.99 Andrew Maclean's first standalone comic seamlessly blends the weird-fantasy of Adventure Time's mythos, the core of Mike Mignola's artistic style, and the dynamic motion of Tradd Moore's 'Luther Strode' series. Mike Spicer's colours will draw you in from a mile away, and they work especially well here given the cover of the book itself accentuates the solid matte artefact that is 'Head Lopper'. The first collection: 'A Plague of Beasts' follows the story of Norgal - the eponymous Head Lopper - and his reluctant companion, the severed head of Agatha the Blue Witch as they work to slay the Sorcerer of the Black Bog. Frankly if the zany fantasy-ness of it all hasn't grabbed you already then I guess you're after a well paced, narratively driven comic dealing with complex issues of legacy and expectation instead. Oh wait! That's still 'Head Lopper'! Glad you're still with us. In a time where Image comics seem to have another breakout hit every month it's easy to miss shorter run gems like 'Head Lopper', but with two trades out and no planned continuance you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to pick it up. -Dan Johnson Travelling Man York 

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REVIEW: Sins RPG by Paul Moore, Jim Freeman and Sam Sleney Players: 3+ Ages: Teen+ Playtime: Ongoing Our Price: £39.99 Post-apocalypitic roleplaying with a Lovecraftian and Dark Souls twist! Fresh from its successful kickstarter and Winner of the People Choice award for Best New RPG at UK Games Expo, Sins is a beautiful new RPG that lets players explore a rich and evocative world filled with human survivors, the zombie-like Brood and something that's not quite either..... GMs can take players through nuclear scarred wastelands, forgotten cities, into towns trying to survive and into the depths of Brood-infested hives. Players can either take on the roles of Nemesseries, those who have died and returned with strange new powers and a dark “other” residing deep within them waiting to emerge and take control. Or they can be simple human survivors defending their homes and lives against the monstrous Brood, despicable slave traders and the natural threat of the nuclear scarred world. Sins has an elegant and simple rules system allowing new players and GM's to quickly get a handle on things to allow the narrative world to shine. The Beautifully presented 350 page hardback rulebook gives players a wealth of information about the world and its mysteries alongside the rules of the game but GM's don't need to worry about spoilers as there is such a rich depth and malleability to Sins that you can take your players anywhere and do almost anything!   Take Mad Max, The Thing, H.P. Lovecraft, Akira, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, The Road and Resident Evil, cook on a low heat, stir in the beautiful art of Will Kirkby and serve alongside a bowl of fresh D6! -Scott Waites Travelling Man York

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REVIEW: My Love Story!! by Kazune Kawahara and Aruko Publisher: Viz Media Ages: 12+ Our Price: £6.99 (all Viz Media also on 3 for 2) From the creator of High School Debut, My Love Story is exactly what it sounds like - this shoujo series stars larger than life high schooler Takeo Goda, and the journey of his first love. Takeo is a big boy with an even bigger heart who falls for just about every girl he meets; unfortunately, due to his huge stature and exuberant personality, they never seem to feel the same way. His best friend Suna is just the opposite - handsome, mild-mannered and a hit with the ladies, yet utterly uninterested in romance. When Takeo rescues the shy and kind hearted Yamato from a  lecherous man on the train, she’s immediately smitten, but Takeo is convinced she’s fallen for Suna instead. What begins is an uplifting and hilarious story of acceptance, friendship and ultimately romance as these three muddle their way through their final year of high school. As someone who doesn’t often read romance, and finds themselves tired by the same old tropes shoujo manga can bring with it, My Love Story breathes fresh new life into the genre. The characters are well rounded and excellently written; each relationship between them feels real and genuine, their interactions leaving me laughing out loud (and occasionally bringing a tear to my eye). It was impossible not to fall in love with this; what I expected to be some light filler to tide me over between bigger reads wound up being one of the best series I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing. If you’re looking for something to uplift you after a rough day, this is the perfect little addition to your collection. -Elliott Woodward  Travelling Man Newcastle

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REVIEW: Tetris: the Games People Play by Box Brown Publisher: First Second Ages: Teen+ Our Price: £12.99 Having completed an acclaimed biography of wrestler Andre The Giant, indie comic creator extraordinaire Box Brown next turned his sights to the story behind that most ubiquitous of video games, Tetris. Coming prepackaged with every original Game Boy sold, the story of Tetris’ journey to this point is a fascinating one. Invented by a bored programmer in the Soviet Union, Alexey Pajitnov could never have predicted where his addictive puzzle would eventually end up. After taking over offices in Moscow, passed around between office workers, word eventually reaches outside of the country about its addictive nature. Backroom meetings, clandestine deals, miscommunication and outright theft leads the eponymous game out of the Soviet Union and around the globe. Drawn in Box Brown’s trademark style, and in a minimal palette of white, black and yellow, the book is a visual feast as well as detailing a fascinating true to life story. Not content with only retelling the events that did happen, this graphic novel ruminates on the importance of games to us all, and the role they play within art, culture and commerce.The perfect read for anybody with a passing interest in video games, Cold War international relationships, or just very very good graphic novels. Plus, it will make you want to play Tetris! Now, where did I leave my Game Boy? -Euan Lynn Travelling Man Newcastle

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REVIEW: King of Tokyo by Richard Garfield Players: 2-6 Ages: 8+ Playtime: 30min Our Price: £29.99 What's the most dangerous city in the world to live in? There are a lot of factors to consider when weighing the question – crime rates, environmental issues, amount of Swegway Hoverboard owners – but any sensible person will first and foremost consider the number of giant monster attacks in the area. And although New York can claim a fair few, Tokyo easily takes the crown. In King of Tokyo, the dice game by Magic The Gathering creator and games design maven Richard Garfield, Tokyo's kaiju problem is worse than it's ever been – up to six giant rampaging monsters (ranging from the classic giant apes and lizards to the more esoteric, such as a rabbit in a giant Gundam-style mech suit) are loose in the streets and are duking it out to be crowned the King of Tokyo. Once the players have selected their kaiju, battle commences! On their turn, a player rolls the six monster dice in order to gain attack other monsters, gain victory points or extra health, or earn energy cubes – currency which can pay for awesome monster upgrades, such as tentacles or wings. An extra head (which allows an extra dice) is an essential accessory for any monster-about-town. There's a nice risk/reward at the heart of King of Tokyo – and indeed, at the heart of Tokyo itself. Only one monster can be in Tokyo at once, and while you're in there, you're hoovering up victory points and your attacks hit all the other monsters. Sound cushy? Problem is, when you're in Tokyo, everybody else's attacks only hit you. And the kicker? You can't heal in Tokyo. Any time you’re attacked in Tokyo, you can yield it to whichever monster just clobbered you. So what do you do? Do you duck out and hope you can get some healing done? Or do you stay and cling on, hoping no-one will land the killing blow before you enough victory points to be crowned King of Tokyo? Or do you stay and attempt to murder all your opponents before they can do the same to you? The mechanics of King of Tokyo are elegant and easy to grasp, and it's a speedy number too – most games will see a monster emerge victorious in around twenty to thirty minutes. It's the ideal warm-up game, something to get the competitive juices flowing and the rivalries for the evening established. King of Tokyo is the perfect royal rumble. -Matt Barker Travelling Man Leeds

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REVIEW: Fungi by Brent Povis Players: 2 Ages: 10+ Playtime: 20-40mins Our Price: £9.99 As far as two player exclusive games go, Fungi from Pegasus Spiele easily has the most smoothly designed engine I've seen. You and an opponent take the roles of mushroom pickers in a forest, aiming to forage and cook the most delectable meal before the forest decays away for the season. You can learn the rules to this game inside of 10 minutes, but after several games I still don't feel I've mastered the strategy built deep into those same core mechanics. As soon as the game is laid out it starts to function and move, each card lending itself to the next as the forest grows and falls. However, with easy to understand reference cards explaining both 'On Your Turn' and 'After Your Turn' actions any anxiety over keeping up with the flow of this game melts away, and is replaced with a definitive urge to out-cook, out-pick and out-play your opponent. Once you know the rules you can also start to shrink the game's table profile down to a much more travel friendly size; there's even the option of replacing the 'Stick' cards with tokens to minimise the parts further. Even without adjustment though, the game can be played across two pull down train tables making it a must play in your travel plans. For the price, size and play profile, there's just not a better game.  -Dan Johnson Travelling Man York

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REVIEW: Gravediggers Union vol.1 by Wes Craig & Tony Cypress Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly Ages: Teen+ Our Price: £14.99 The living dead, vampires and spooky ghosts are just your standard occurrence in this world created by writer Wes Craig and artist Toby Cypress. Never fear the Gravediggers Union is on call to put them back in their place. However, the jobs are pilling up and it is becoming more than just your standard 'chasing some dusty vamps out of a graveyard' kind of job. Overworked and understaffed, the Gravediggers Union know that something is up, apocalypse levels of up to be exact. Time is running out and they need to track down a mysterious cult and help their gaffer reconnect with his estranged daughter. That may or may not be the key to unlocking what is happening. This comic has creepy cults, witches, fan-boy vamps, Voodoo queens, elder races, corporate chumps and more. The only thing standing in their way is a small group of near retirement Union guys just doing their best with the help of a old 'friend' and the work’s petty cash. A perfect choice for any lover of all things monster. -Katie Hanratty Travelling Man Manchester

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REVIEW: Ravens of Thri Sahashri by Kuro Players: 2 Ages: 12+ Playtime: 45mins Our Price: £14.99 Ren has had her memories stolen by ravens! Fortunately, her friend Feth is in love with her and will do anything to get them back. In this 2-player cooperative game players take control of these two young friends. Feth must piece together Ren's memories using the beautifully illustrated cards but mustn’t delve too deep into her memories as the Ravens are hiding in Ren's mind. Ren on the other hand must use the memories Feth uncovers to create a poem to ward off the ravens! I cannot overstate how beautiful this game is! It’s presented in a great little box that makes it prefect for travelling with and the tarot sized cards look fantastic. For the category nerds it’s an asymmetrical co-op game with tile-placement and push-your-luck mechanics. But don't let that overwhelm you; once you wrap your head around the rules and mechanics it’s a great little game that is hard to beat but oh so satisfying once you do! The final flourish of Ravens is in the three sealed envelopes hiding in the box... Once you beat the game you open the first envelope, the story continues and an additional rule is added to the game. You repeat this with the other three envelopes with the game getting more difficult as you get better at it! If you go back to the game and want an easier time then just put those extra cards back in the box and you’re good to go. This game has a wonderful theme and every iota of it is reflected in the game itself. It quickly became one of my and my partner’s favourite small games. -Scott Waites Travelling Man York

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REVIEW: Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly Ages: Teen+ Our Price: £14.99 This is Tomine's latest work and by far his best. Collecting work from the last few issues of his comic book series Optic Nerve, this collection covers an incredible amount of unique storytelling from Canada's best publishers, Drawn and Quarterly. I have never read anything like this before, no one has a voice like Tomine. Focusing on the darker side of daily life - abusive relationships, cancer, breaking into homes, pornography and failed careers. Killing and Dying looks into people's quiet lives and the extremes that are happening behind closed doors. Gripping. The minimalist artwork is offset by the subtle, elaborate storylines that we can all relate to. Like a Wes Anderson film produced in a Ghost World-esque context, for fans of Yoshihiro Tatsumi, Harvey Pekar and watching a car crash in slow-motion. The production of the hardcover edition of the book itself will look great on any book lover's shelf. Chris Ware (Building Stories, Jimmy Corrigan) describes Killing and Dying as “A book that can be passed to a literary- minded person who doesn't normal read comics”. This was my favourtie book that came out in 2015. Don't sleep on it! -Mama Lips Travelling Man Newcastle

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REVIEW: Dungeons & Dragons 5th Ed. Starter Set Players: Usually between 4-6 Ages: 12+ Playtime: Ask your DM! Our Price: £19.99 [For more general info on how table-top role-playing games work, you can see a nice general overview by clicking here] Considering the long history of tabletop RPG, it’s easy to see how Dungeons and Dragons has remained a favourite among fans for over four decades. Fifth edition (commonly referred to as 5e) is still going strong after four years, breathing new life into the format with updated rule systems and an endless number of add on campaign settings fit for fans of any genre. Now distributed by Wizards of the Coast (the guys who make Magic the Gathering) 5e makes the game even more accessible for new players and RPG veterans alike. Armed with just a set of dice and a character sheet at your side, get ready to dive on into your first quest! The Starter Set is ideal for those looking to join in the fun - it’s designed for teaching an entire group how to start up their campaign; all you need to do is get your group of up to six dungeoneers together (five players, and one dungeon master, who’ll be running the game). Included in this set is a condensed 32 page rulebook, covering how to play the game and level your characters up from level 1 to 5; a 64-page adventure book for the dungeon master to run for the players, including all the info they’ll need to know; 5 pregenerated characters for players to pick through (with other characters available for free on the wizards of the coast website, as well as printable sheets to create their own!); all topped off with a set of dice for players to share. The campaign is ideal for teaching both dungeon masters and players alike, taking you through an adventure to the lost mine of Phandelver and discover the treasure within its depths. -Elliott Woodward, Travelling Man Newcastle

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REVIEW: Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue Publisher: Viz Media Ages: Adults Our Price: 3in1 Omnibus vol.1 £12.99 All our Viz Media is also 3 for 2! Takehiko's critically acclaimed manga is truly a modern classic! Looking for truly beautiful art and a heartfelt story? Vagabond encompasses love, loss and the struggle to become invincible under the sun. Takehiko hand colours all of his work with ink and brush giving his art a truly unique tone evoking the mist covered mountains of Japan, the black and white pages are stark showing the delicate brush strokes of a true master and his full colour pages are pure joy to behold. Based on the historical swordsman Miyamoto Mushashi and his truly remarkable life to become Japan's greatest swordsman and the Epic Novel “Mushashi” by Eiji Yoshikawa. The story begins at the battle of Sekigahara (October 1600) and continues through Mushashi's formative years seeking worthy opponents to test his swordsmanship and develop his philosophical mind that will one day write the famous The Book of the Five Rings.  But it's not all sword-fighting and meditation it also follows Otsu and Matahatchi, Mushashi's childhood friends. as they also grow. Otsu into a capable and well loved woman and Matahatchi into a man driven to booze and lies to survive. Covering all aspects of Edo Period Japan Takehiko makes this a great read for fans of Martial Arts, Love Stories and Historical Drama! I cannot do this book justice with this review alone, take a look at it for yourself! -Scott Waites, Travelling Man York

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SMALL PRESS DAY IN LEEDS! If you’re planning a trip into town this Saturday, be sure to swing by Travelling Man and Single Shot Records & Coffee for loads of great Small Press Day celebrations. For more information on what’s happening, check out the Facebook event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/806327056225292/