May is just around the corner which means that FREE COMIC BOOK DAY is just upon us. This blog post is inspired by one of my favorite customers at my day job (shout out to Natasha), that during our last conversation asked me to recommend some books to her.
I take this task seriously. Comics has a long history of the stigma of big boobs, little clothing, mindless violence. But there is also now a rising current of brilliant new talent who are expanding the scope of what comics are, and what it can become.
I originally came up with this list back in the day when I worked at local art supply store with a fellow female employee. I have read most of these, some of these were added by the fellow employee. It it still an incomplete list, and it varies from all ages to mature content. But I believe if you are faced with challenge of: I hate testosteone-ony muscle guys, big guns, tights, ninja chicks in thongs, so why should I read comics question. I hope you can refer back to this list as an argument that "Comics are for everyone!"
Action Girl
(All Ages)
Amazon description:
Action Girl is an anthology showcasing female cartoonists. It has all ages sensibility and is girl positive and female friendly, but never anti-boy. The idea is to be as inclusive as possible.
Alias
(Young Adult w/Mature themes)
Amazon description:
Meet Jessica Jones, one-time costumed heroine turned private investigator. After realizing that her powers were unremarkable compared to those of the icons in the Marvel Universe, Jones gave up being a super hero and eventually opened up a detective agency. While her intent to help others is intact, her personal behavior is anything but valiant: She is bitter, resentful and self-destructive. In lieu of professional help, Jessica battles her inferiority complex and depression with a chain-smoking habit and alcoholic tendencies. In spite of her self-imposed exile from the spandex crowd, Jessica's cases continually lead her back to her old circle of acquaintances, which only fuels her angst even more. Jessica is imperfect and human, and her textured personality is eloquently rendered by Bendis and Gaydos.
Alison Dare
(All Ages)
Amazon description:
Alison Dare: Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft in fabulous, graphic adventures.
Alison Dare is not your typical twelve-year-old. She's the daughter of an archaeologist/adventurer and the masked hero known as the Blue Scarab. To top it off, she's also the niece of an international super-spy; it's no surprise that a craving for danger is in her blood! Unfortunately, her parents have locked her away at the prestigious St. Joan's Academy for Girls, hoping that this would lead to a more "normal" life for their daughter.
The Amazing Joy Buzzards:
(Young Adult)
Amazon Description:
The world's greatest rock 'n roll adventure band makes their original graphic novel debut With girl-magnet Biff on guitar and vocals, tough guy Stevo on bass, and four-eyed genius Gabe on drums - not to mention their mythical Mexican wrestler genie, El Campeon - the Amazing Joy Buzzards hop from one fast-paced adventure to the next, living life to the fullest! As their world tour commences, their battle with the nefarious Spider Syndicate gets into full swing with the fate of the world in the balance!
Archie
(All ages)
Amazon description:
Celebrate 70 years of Archie Comics fun with this massive full-color collection of over 50 favorite comic book stories hand-selected by noted Archie writers, artists, editors and historians. Also included are loads of entertaining behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the comics, their creators, and Archie's unique impact on America's pop culture!
Designed for young and old alike, this is both a must-have companion for anyone who has grown up with Archie and a perfect introduction for new readers.
Blankets
(Young Adult w/mature themes)
Amazon description:
A brand-new, hardcover edition, re-sized and with a new cover! Wrapped in the landscape of a blustery Wisconsin winter, Blankets explores the sibling rivalry of two brothers growing up in the isolated country, and the budding romance of two coming-of-age lovers. Blankets is a tale of security and discovery, of playfulness and tragedy, of a fall from grace and the origins of faith.
Blue Monday
(Young Adult w/Mature themes)
Amazon description:
Being a teenager can be a difficult job, something the adult world can never understand. While to her parents and teachers getting Adam Ant tickets is no big deal, to Bleu L. Finnegan it means everything. This could be the defining moment of her life, and there is no guarantee that she will ever achieve it. On the way, Bleu must deal with the travails of adolescence - from prank-playing, porn-addicted boys to sexist-pig radio disc jockeys to trying to figure out how to show that dreamy substitute teacher that she's his perfect mate. It all culminates on that fateful night when Bleu and her best friend, Clover, go to the club and try to get in at any cost! Nothing will bar Bleu from the pop idol of her dreams! Collects the debut mini-series as well as the various short stories that preceded it in independent comic book anthologies.
Bone
(All ages)
Amazon description:
An American graphic novel first! The complete 1300-page epic adventure from start to finish in one deluxe trade paperback. Three modern cartoon cousins get lost in a pre-technological valley, speanding a year there making new friends and out-running dangerous enemies. Their many adventures include crossing the local people in The Great Cow Race, and meeting a giant mountain lion called RockJaw: Master of the Eastern Border. They learn about sacrifice and hardship in The Ghost Circles and finally discover their own true natures in the climatic journey to The Crown of Horns.
Charm School
(Young Adult)
Amazon description:
Charm School is a book set in a Twilight World where monsters and magical people happily (and wickedly) live. In the town of Little Salem, good teen witch Bunny has a perfect girlfriend in vampire biker Dean, until a dark, and very insistent faerie comes along. Can Bunny resist Fairer Than's charms? And when she does, what will Fairer Than (and Dean) do about it? Find out in this romantic and action filled comedy of three hapless heroines in lust and love!
Felon
(Mature)
From the Greg Rucka Blog: http://www.gregrucka.com/wp/felon/
She took the fall and they took her money, but now the Felon is free, and she’s out to collect what she’s owed…with interest.
…Four issues of what was supposed to be a 25 issue series, following a nameless “felon” and the FBI Agent who pursued her. The handful of issues that were actually published have generated an almost cult-like following.
Fray
(Young Adult)
Amazon description:
Hundreds of years in the future, Manhattan has become a deadly slum, run by mutant crime-lords and disinterested cops. Stuck in the middle is a young girl who thought she had no future, but learns she has a great destiny. In a world so poisoned that it doesn't notice the monsters on its streets, how can a street kid like Fray unite a fallen city against a demonic plot to consume mankind? Joss Whedon, the celebrated creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, brings his vision to the future in this unique tale. As inventive in the comics medium as in that of television of film, Whedon spins a complex tale of a skilled thief coming of age without the help of friends or family, guided only by a demonic Watcher.
Geisha
(Young Adult)
Amazon description:
Geisha is the futuristic tale of Jomi Sohoda, an android with a knack for painting. Adopted early in her development by the Kami family, Jomi has been assimilated into regular human life - except society sees her as an outcast, something less than human. This makes it rather difficult for her to sell her paintings, so to make money, she joins the family bodyguard business, launching herself into a world of action and intrigue, complete with supermodels, jealous ex-husbands, maniacal moguls, robotic armor, and the twisted double-cross of art fakery.
Gloom Cookie
(Young Adult)
Amazon review: Editorial Reviews
(All Ages)
Amazon description:
Back in the day, Janet Goldman was an honest-to-goodness flying superhero, the far out Go-Go Girl. But Go-Go Girl eventually hung up her costume -- well, put it away in a dresser drawer -- and now her teenage daughter, Lindsay, has inherited Mom's flying powers, donned her old costume, and become the teenage superheroine sensation Go Girl! Now she's fighting crime and righting wrongs...with an occasional leg up from the now semi-retired Go-Go Girl. Pouring the classic charm of comics of the past through a subtle modernist filter, series creator/writer Trina Robbins and artist Anne Timmons have crafted an all-ages delight, garnering critical praise and a coveted Lulu Award. The GoGirl! collection includes pinups by Barb Rausch, Steve Leiber, Lea Hernandez, Sergio Aragonis, and others and bonus features, including material never before seen in the GoGirl! series.
(All Ages)
Amazon description:
Herobear and the Kid is a nostalgic view of childhood, complete with new schools, bullies, true love, imagination, and...a magic bear. After his grandfather passes away, young Tyler inherits an old stuffed, toy bear and broken pocket watch. He soon learns that things aren't always what they seem, and that you shouldn't judge a bear by its cover. Come join us to remember your childhood, as Tyler remembers his.
(Young Adult)
Amazon Description:
It's the total swerval return of the First Family of Punk! Dirk Hopeless and Nikki Strange went from the parties, touring, and recording studios of rock stardom to the quiet of the suburbs, but that's no reason they can't still be themselves. Join Dirk and Nikki, along with their kids Rat, Arsenal, Twitch, and Zero as they bounce their way through kidnapping plots, first love, and international intrigue in this massive collection of the Eisner Award-nominated series!
Chance Falconer has the occult in her blood. Her father is the defender of the Devil's Echo, an amazing city where the supernatural is an everyday occurrence. Now Chance's training begins.
Love and Rockets
(Mature)
The first in a series of volumes collecting the Love and Rockets stories of spunky Maggie, her brash best friend and sometimes lover Hopey, and their friends. These are the earliest, punkiest, most heavily sci-fi stories.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2007, Love and Rockets will finally be released in its most accessible form yet: as a series of compact, thick, affordable, mass-market volumes that present the whole story in perfect chronological order. The 25th anniversary Love and Rockets celebration continues with this, the first of three volumes collecting the adventures of the spunky Maggie, her annoying best friend and sometime lover Hopey, and their circle of friends, including their bombshell friend Penny Century, Maggie's weirdo mentor Izzyas well as the wrestler Rena Titanon and Maggie's handsome love interest, Rand Race. Maggie the Mechanic collects the earliest, punkiest, most heavily sci-fi stories of Maggie and her circle of friends, and you can see the artist (who drew like an angel from the very first panel) refine his approach: Despite these strong shifts in tone, the stunning art and razor sharp characterizations keep this collection consistent, and enthralling throughout. (Note: A number of these stories were not collected in the hardcoverLocas.)
(All Ages)
Amazon description:
Meridian is the story of Sephie, a sheltered young girl whose life resembles nothing so much as a fairy tale. The beloved only child of the Minister of Meridian, she grows up with an entire floating city as her playground. Then her father dies, and she inherits a sigil imbued with the power to create. So does her wicked Uncle Ilahn, except that his powers are bent on destruction and domination. Suddenly Sephie finds herself at the center of a power struggle, and quickly she learns that there is more than love in the world. Kidnapped to the world of Calador, Sephie’s journey home to Meridian puts her in the path of many people good and bad that help her grow up and counter Ilahn’s plans to take over her world. Meridian is a floating sky island of shipbuilders ravaged by the occupying forces from Cadador, the island of merchants and contract holders. The Minister of Meridian, Sephie, has survived a trial by fire. Returning home, Sephie will use the strange healing powers she’s been given to banish the Cadadorians from her island. Unfortunately, her Uncle Ilahn was also given a sigil and its wonderful ability to manipulate energies – but his power destroys. Meridian is a coming-of-age story that appeals to the audience of "Harry Potter" fans with its magical battles and fantastic setting all narrated by Sephie. Featuring first Associate Artist program graduate Steve McNiven’s latest work, this book spotlights the work of an artist destined to be one of comics’ greatest.
Amazon descritpion:
Written by Alan Moore; Art by J.H. Williams III and Mick Gray Sophie Bangs was a just an ordinary college student in a weirdly futuristic New York when a simple assignment changed her life forever. While researching Promethea, a mythical warrior woman, Sophie receives a cryptic warning to cease her investigations. Ignoring the cautionary notice, she continues her studies and is almost killed by a shadowy creature when she learns the secret of Promethea. Surviving the encounter, Sophie soon finds herself transformed into Promethea, the living embodiment of the imagination. Her trials have only begun as she must master the secrets of her predecessors before she is destroyed by Promethea's ancient enemy
Amazon description:
Still waiting for your prince to come? Tired of spending night after night locked in a secluded tower? Ready for your own adventure? So are we.Princeless is the story of Princess Adrienne, one princess who’s tired of waiting to be rescued. Join Adrienne and her guardian dragon, Sparky, as they begin their own quest in an all-ages action adventure designed specifically for those who are tired of waiting to be rescued… and who are ready to save themselves.
Amazon description:
Queen & Country, the Eisner Award-winning and critically lauded espionage series from acclaimed novelist and comic book author Greg Rucka, is back in a new series of definitive editions collecting the entire classic series in just four affordable soft covers. In this first collection, readers are introduced to the thrilling and often-times devastating world of international espionage as SIS field agent Tara Chase is sent all over the world in service to her Queen & Country all the while Director of Operations Paul Crocker walks a narrow tightrope between his loyalty to his people and the political masters that must be served!
(Young Adult W/Mature themes)
Amazon description:
CrossGen's horror adventure title is on the loose! Dark deeds are afoot at Welkin State University, where young Cassie Starkweather's best friend is killed in a horrible accident. Cassie's grief turns to terror when her friend's ghost appears, pursued by fearsome spirits bent on dragging innocent souls back to their own hellish realm. But is this truly a supernatural invasion that clairvoyant Cassie has uncovered? Or is it just a twisted, paranoid vision brought on by Cassie's own insidious madness? Psychological mysteries and paranormal perils combine in this unsettling new series played out against a stylish Cold War era setting. Hot penciler Karl Moline (Joss Whedon's Fray), superstar inker John Dell (Mystic) and master colorist Nick Bell join writer Tony Bedard (Mystic, Negation) on a creepy cruise down the turnpike of terror! Hop in and hold on tight.
(Mature)
Amazon description:
New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman's transcendent series SANDMAN is often hailed as the definitive Vertigo title and one of the finest achievements in graphic storytelling. Gaiman created an unforgettable tale of the forces that exist beyond life and death by weaving ancient mythology, folklore and fairy tales with his own distinct narrative vision.
In PRELUDES & NOCTURNES, an occultist attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. After his 70 year imprisonment and eventual escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power. On his arduous journey Morpheus encounters Lucifer, John Constantine, and an all-powerful madman.
(All Ages)
Amazon description:
It's Halloween night and it's up to Scary Godmother to show one little girl just how much fun spooky can be! Meet Hannah Marie, who, with the help of Scary Godmother, stands up to her mean-spirited cousin Jimmy and her fear of monsters on her first Halloween adventure with the big kids. Later, Hannah joins forces with Orson, the vampire boy, to unravel a mystery near and dear to their hearts. Some of Scary Godmother's closest (and most frightful) pals get in on the fun too, including Bugaboo, the Boozle, and Skully Pettibone.
(Young Adult w/Mature themes)
Amazon Description:
Katchoo is a beautiful young woman living a quiet life with everything going for her. She's smart, independent and very much in love with her best friend, Francine. Then Katchoo meets David, a gentle but persistent young man who is determined to win Katchoo's heart. The resulting love triangle is a touching comedy of romantic errors until Katchoo's former employer comes looking for her and $850,000 in missing mob money. As her idyllic life begins to fall apart, Katchoo discovers no one can be trusted and that the past she thought she left behind now threatens to destroy her and everything she loves, including Francine. This is the first edition in the series - don't miss it!
Umbrella Academy:
(Young Adult)
Amazon description:
Gerard Way, of My Chemical Romance, makes his comics writing debut in this outrageous superhero epic that Grant Morrison called "An ultraviolet psychedelic sherbet bomb of wit and ideas. The superheroes of the 21st century are here at last..." In an inexplicable, worldwide event, forty-seven extraordinary children were spontaneously born by women who'd previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, "To save the world." These seven children form The Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers. Their first adventure at the age of ten pits them against an erratic and deadly Eiffel Tower, piloted by the fearsome zombie-robot Gustave Eiffel. Nearly a decade later, the team disbands, but when Hargreeves unexpectedly dies, these disgruntled siblings reunite just in time to save the world once again.
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