Books are coming out!  This is one of the things that makes 2011 exciting. 

Here are some of them. 

(Books from First Second not included, because I feel that it is in poor taste to be all, 'you GUYS, our 2011 books are the AWESOMEST,' even if it is possibly true.  Possibly especially if it is true.)

Zach Worton's The Klondike — right now, exactly the perfect kind of book for the season, as it is full of gold and snow.  So excellently wintry!  And by a really good guy, so it is bound to be excellent. 

Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken, by Ray Friesen — I don't know anything about this book other than what's at that link, but that demonstrates to me that a) it is adorable and b) there is a piratical penguin in it.  Things do not get much better than that in the world of penguins, let me tell you.  Or in the world of pirates, either.

Sarah Oleksyk's Ivy — Sarah's been serializing this online forever, and I cannot wait to read it all in one piece!  Also, the cover is just gorgeous. 

Habibi, by Craig Thompson.  Amazon tells me that this is coming out in September — so exciting!  All of the bits of it I have encountered around the internet have been gorgeous, and I have no doubt that it will also be thoughtful and interesting and entirely new.  Yay!

Jess Fink's We Can Fix It — the story that definitively demonstrates that the best reason to go back in time is to make out with yourself.  This will clearly be utterly delightful; I can't wait. 

Isle of 100,000 Graves, by Jason — by Jason!  With a girl protagonist!  And more pirates!  And also The School for Young Torturers!  I expect new levels of excellence from Jason here. 

Darryl Cunningham's Psychiatric Tales — a moving and honest piece of comics nonfiction about mental illness, a subject that deserves to be more paid more attention in the US. 

Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover's Gingerbread Girl — whenever they work together, they seem to produce adorableness!  I have no doubt that this book will live up to that very high standard. 

In conclusion: 2011, what's not to be excited about?

(this post can also be known as, 'to no one's surprise, it turns out Douglas Wolk and I have very different taste in comics')