Graphic Novel Roundup: Ascendant, Eternal, and Divine

All-New Captain America Vol. 1: Hydra Ascendant, by Rick Remender and Stuart Immonen
Rick Remender (we’re big fans of his Image book Low) begins a new chapter in the story of Captain America, and even though he’s picking up where he left off in the previous Cap series, he’s doing it with a brand-new guy under the mask. When last we saw Steve Rogers, he’d lost the super-soldier serum that was keeping him going strong (long story). Aged to around 90, he chose his longtime pal Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie in the movies) to pick up the shield. The former Falcon’s got a lot on his plate: Hydra is back and nastier than ever, now led by some of Cap’s biggest, baddest enemies. These secret-identity changes aren’t always permanent, but the new Captain will be getting an even higher profile leading Marvel’s All-New, All-Different Avengers roster this fall, so he’s sticking around for a while.

The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 2: Fandemonium, by Jamie McKelvie and Kieron Gillen
Every 90 years, 12 people are granted the powers of reincarnated deities. Along with fame and supernormal abilities, they gain the certainty that they have less than two years to live. In 2014, that’s not far off as the job description of a rock star, and in this case, the gods have joined together as the pop group The Pantheon, and our main character Laura is their #1 fan. It’s a cool, almost psychedelic take on modern stardom. This second volume of the acclaimed urban fantasy finds Laura back in the thick of things, trying to uncover a massive conspiracy to bring down the gods. Definitely check out volume 1, as well.

Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: Black Vortex, by Sam Humphries, Ed McGuinness, Valerio Schiti, and Paco Medina
The Guardians have been spending a fair bit of time hanging with the X-Men lately, and they’re working together with the “All-New” squad in order to capture the cosmic Black Vortex, a kind of mirror thing that grants cosmic power to whomever holds it, with results determined by the potential of the user. In this massive crossover, Peter Quill/Star-Lord is leading both teams to capture (meaning: steal) the Vortex from the bad guys and, especially, to make sure that it stays out of the hands of Thanos’ son Thane. This chunky hardcover includes all 13 parts of the story.

Batman Eternal, Vol. 2 (The New 52), by Scott Snyder, Tim Seeley, and Jason Fabok
Bruce Wayne’s childhood pal Tommy Elliot takes center stage in this middle chapter of the mega-series, with Tommy’s alter-ego Hush revealed as one of the key architects of the chaos that has enveloped Gotham. This weekly series, from a rotating creative team led by Scott Snyder, began with a darker new status quo for Gotham and spent a year revealing what happened through the stories of just about every Bat-family member and significant Gothamite. Impressively, D.C. isn’t skimping on the collections: the whole 52-issue series will be collected in just three volumes, making it easy to pick up. (Not literally, though. They’re way heavy.)

The Divine, by Asaf Hanuka, Tomer Hanuka, and Boaz Lavie
Not to be confused with the week’s other Divine offering, this book from the Israeli creative team of the Hanuka twins and Boaz Lavie is an interesting mash-up of genres. A military mining contract in a fictitious Southeast Asian country sends army buddies Mark and Jason into the heart of a civil war. Led by a couple of little kids with magical powers. And an army of deities. And a dragon. It looks like an interesting commentary on war and modern politics, with plenty of action as well.
What’s on your pull list?