The adventures of teenage flying superhero, Go-Girl, her best friend Haseema Ross (girl detective) and her friends, family and school. Sweet, good-natured fun against computer games gone bad, slightly evil supervillain teams, art thieves and nasty prom queens.
Read how we rated it >>
Grief and laughter are closer together than we’re usually willing to admit. Jokes and the Unconscious explores this disconcerting fact through the story of Sasha, a young woman whose father has recently died of cancer after a lifetime of being an oncologist himself. Sasha’s grief is messy and unwieldy, permeating everything and refusing to become neat and manageable, despite the troubled nature of her relationship with the man who has died; in this way Jokes and the Unconscious captures the uncontrollable nature of loss better than any graphic novel I’ve ever read.
The sheer unflinching honesty of Jokes and the Unconscious makes it uncomfortable to read at times, but that same honesty makes it intensely compelling. It’s a powerful, astonishing read.
Read how we rated it >>
Fabulous, funny, sharply-written stories about four sibling superheroes (Alex, Julie, Jack and Katie) and their fantastic adventures. Includes frequent team-ups with adult groups like the Avengers, X-men or Fantastic Four. They’re out of continuity, so no familarity with larger canon is required.
Read how we rated it >>
Ten years ago, a space shuttle vanished from orbit with seven crewmembers, and the Earth ceased all manned spaceflight in response. Then the shuttle returns, fundamentally changed, and a space program that has given up on reaching the stars must pull itself back together long enough to figure out what happened. Orbiter presents itself as a mystery, but more than anything, it’s the story of a world that learns to dream again.
As much as the writing is great, it’s the artwork that makes the book. Colleen Doran brings the characters to life with a wonderful subtlety of expression and gesture; you know exactly what everyone is feeling, and you’re right there with them.
Like most of Ellis’ best work, you come away with the sense that he universe is stranger than we have ever imagined, and that is terrifying, and that is awesome. If you’ve ever looked up into the sky and felt an ill-defined longing, you’ll enjoy this one.
Read how we rated it >>
Hereville is good. It’s really good.
It’s the kind of good that makes me want to carry a copy with me at all times, just so that I can look at it every few minutes as a reminder that any world that produces books like this one is probably worth the benefit of the doubt.
Comics that can honestly be described as all-ages are few and far between. Knitting a narrative that appeals to adults and remains accessible to and appropriate for kids is no easy feat. Imbuing that story with layers of rich culture and tradition without overwhelming readers, and doing so while slyly subverting both form and trope take serious skill.
In many ways, Hereville is a classic coming-of-age story, the first adventure of a fledgling hero. It’s also a cultural narrative, steeped in the language and traditions of Orthodox Judaism. But at the same time, it’s full of contradictions and quirks that turn heroic convention topsy-turvy. It’s telling that the story begins with a friendly argument, as Mirka (the eleven-year-old heroine) and her stepmother Fruma discuss the theology of knitting.
Read Rachel’s full review at her blog InsideOut, or check out Hereville
Lower Regions is funny, gruesome, and the hero is a woman with an axe, so you know I’m there already.
The black and white art is great, with exceptional facial expressions and body language carrying the story, and the inventiveness that went into the monster roster is fantastic, but the real appeal of this book to me is its star.
The barbarian protagonist is fantastically good at hacking and slashing her way through the many monsters of this tightly plotted story as she hunts for her stolen boy, and for horrible revenge on his kidnapper. Assisted by her adorable and useless halfling companion, she’s mentally creative when physically outmatched (in the best tradition of rules-lawyering) and gorgeous in her blood-spattered fury and determination.
I think I’m a little in love.
Unfairly compared to Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts”, Mafalda is a comic strip about children and their observations of the real world. But these aren’t innocent angels, shielded from the realities around them. Mafalda asks her parents about the Vietnam conflict; she argues with her friend Susanita, who believes marrying well is the only choice for a woman in the world; she is depressed by the Cold War; yet after all is said and done, she is hopeful for humankind. Her friends are just as varied, with greedy Manolito, depressive and lazy Felipe and self-obsessed Miguelito. Rounding the cast off are baby Guille, Mafalda’s brother, and Libertad, a tiny little girl who is constantly speaking of social change and revolution. Quino succesfully blends a biting, humorous critique of the adult world with the joys and sorrows of childhood, and his personal hopes for a better tomorrow.
Quino’s comic strip has garnered huge amount of praise, and remains hugely relevant many decades on. Since it was published between 1964 and 1973, it has become a symbol of protest and critical thinking throughout Latin America, Europe, and even Asia. However, Mafalda is largely unknown in the English-speaking world. Fortunately, with a new English edition selling by the thousands, and becoming more available, a whole new generation of readers can enjoy Quino’s classic oeuvre.
Read how we rated it >>
Sometimes described as “Hellboy for children,” this book is the first in a series dealing with Courtney’s exploration of the fabulous and frightening world inhabited by her great uncle, Aloysius Crumrin. Dark themes are explored with glee, although little unpleasantness takes place on-panel. The book has two sequels which are similarly fabulous.
Courtney is a heroine who is in no danger of being described as ‘spunky.’ She’s stubborn, suspicious, and smart enough to realize when she’s done something stupid. The black and white art is beautiful, and depicts the jagged edges of Courtney’s secret world in a beautifully clear style. Children may miss Naifeh’s sharper wit, but adults will certainly enjoy it.
Jaime Reyes, a confused teenage boy, is accidentally fused to a confused alien artifact with an allergy to Green Lanterns and then unceremoniously dumped into the aftermath of last year’s Major Crossover Event[tm]. Will his life ever be the same? (Hint: no.)
Blue Beetle is what pure, concentrated awesome wants to be when it grows up! It is witty and fast paced and populated with 2D people with 3D personalities. The art is well suited to the story, and it doesn’t slip into gratuitousness when a female character steps on panel. It is FUN, and even though the book doesn’t flinch from the complicated and sometimes messy facts of life for a superhero in the DCU, it doesn’t lose its sense of humour.
If you’re not reading Blue Beetle, you are doing yourself irreparable self-harm. But you are lucky; there is a subscription for that!
Read how we rated it >>
Young homeless orphan Billy Batson is swept up into the world of heroing when he bonds with Captain Marvel, a magic hero from the Rock of Eternity. But when Billy’s curiosity gets the best of him, he accidentally lets the forces of Mr. Mind and the Monster Society of Evil into the world. Now it’s up to the pair to stop them from destroying the world. Jeff Smith’s re-imagining of the Shazam origin is a light, fun, and intelligent book, perfect for both young and old. Additionally, it requires no background in Shazam canon to pick up and read.
