It was a weirdly quiet week in the world of comics, so this edition of Comics Disassembled finds my likes and dislikes from the world of comics to be a little slighter than usual as well. So, let’s get into nine things I liked or didn’t like from the past week in comics, with something that’s slightly older than that leading the way.

1. Marvel, For Dummies (Reprise)

This topic was originally meant to kick off last week’s edition, but I bumped it because a) I didn’t want to push it too far down the list and b) something else came up. So, instead, it’s here now, and it’s still interesting even if it’s an imperfect type of interesting. Marvel, ever the outsourcers, are working with the eternal “For Dummies” series of explainer books to help outsiders understand how these wild comic book things work. Up first is Marvel Comics for Dummies, with Captain America next in line and a quartet of others set to follow in Fantastic Four, the Avengers, Spider-Man, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Based on the covers, it seems like each volume is designed to help interested parties understand this world, the characters that reside in them, their history, the most important comics within each, and a whole lot more. That’s all a good idea for one reason: if anything needs a simplified, one-stop-shop breakdown like the “For Dummies” series offers, it’s Marvel’s comics. It can be an impenetrable world for outsiders, so having an easy guide like this isn’t just smart; it’s necessary. And having comic world vets like Troy Brownfield and Stuart Moore lead the way on these is the right move, because you have expert guides taking people there.

I love the idea, but do I think a book series rooted in the 1990s that lovingly labels its readers as “dummies” is going to move the needle in a meaningful way? Probably not. But I appreciate that Marvel is willing to try, and that they’re working with partners to execute an idea like this. I hope they continue building in this direction because it’s a good one. Finding a way to make onboarding readers easier than it has been in the past could be enormously valuable, both for Marvel and the comic industry as a whole. I like this, and I’m happy they’re doing it. Oh, and if you need a Stilt-Man for Dummies author, Marvel, you know where to find me.

2. Tillie Walden, Crowdfunding

I feel like that it doesn’t need to be said that Tillie Walden’s one of the great cartoonists these days, but Tillie Walden? She’s one of the great cartoonists these days. And while she did excellent work before it, the comic that arguably put her on the map was her graphic novel Spinning, a memoir of her time as a competitive ice skater. While it was originally published by First Second and earned much (deserved) acclaim — including an Eisner Award — from its earlier print, Spinning is getting a brand new printing. But this one isn’t from First Second. It’s from the United Kingdom-based publisher Avery Hill Publishing, and they’re going all out for it. They’re doing something special in an effort powered by Kickstarter.

What’s different about this version versus the one you can get from First Second? Beyond the fact that you can get a signed and numbered bookplate thanks to it being crowdfunded, this edition comes with a new cover by Walden and it’s a “luxurious” hardcover, both of which distinguish it from previous editions. This campaign needs a little push to get over the finish line with just under two weeks to go, and with the conversation around it being surprisingly quiet, I thought it’d be worth highlighting in case you haven’t read Spinning yet. It’s a wonderful work, and with Avery Hill’s talents at putting together a lovely presentation, this is almost certain to be the best version yet. Get on it while the getting is good, folks!