Graphic Novel Roundup: Exploring the Spider-Verse, Lost Gaiman, and the Mother of Dragons

Batman: Earth One Vol. 2, by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank
The long-awaited second volume of this Bat-centric Earth One series pits the Caped Crusader against the twin threats of The Riddler and Killer Croc as he fights for the safety of Gotham. The Earth One graphic novels take familiar superheroes and re-invent them with the help of fan-favorite creators; the first volume of Batman: Earth One  was a bold, if controversial, re-imagining. Confusing title aside, it’ll be interesting to see what Johns and Frank have up their sleeves this time.

Original Sin, by Jason Aaron, Ed Brubaker, Mark Waid, Mike Deodato, and Javier Pulido
Marvel’s most recent event (leading into the current Secret War series) begins as a murder mystery involving Uatu the Watcher. It seems that someone killed him, and then yanked out his eyes. Which, OK, gross…but those eyes contain all of the secrets that Uatu has been holding onto since the very beginning of the Marvel Universe. Some people want to bury those secrets, while others really, really want to let them out. Nick Fury, a guy with a few secrets of his own, leads the hunt for the killer, as long-festering mysteries and hidden agendas come to light. This book includes the main series as well as the Original Sins spin-off.

Amazing Spider-Man: Edge of Spider-Verse, by Marvel Comics
Speaking of: big company events don’t always emphasize fun, but the big Spider-Verse crossover has managed to take full advantage its own silly premise. This book is a sideline to the main series, but it introduces (or re-introduces) five alternate-universe Spider-People. Each story has its own creative team, with highlights including a return to the ’30s with Spider-Man Noir, a mecha-inspired Spider-Man, the introduction of instant fan-fave Spider-Gwen, and a few cameos from Spider-Ham (!) If that’s not enough, you can get the rest of the story in the massive Spider-Verse hardcover, also out this week.

Neil Gaiman’s Lady Justice #1, by C. J. Henderson, Neil Gaiman, Wendi Lee, Michael Netzer, and Dan Brereton
During the ’90s, Neil Gaiman created several characters for the short-lived publisher Tekno Comix, but none of their series have ever been collected…until now. This book includes the entire three-arc run of Lady Justice, a literal personification of blind justice who appears before women who have been abused or mistreated by men and offers them help, and demands vengeance. Sounds pretty cool.

The Walking Dead, Volume 23, by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, and Stefano Gaudiano
Following the previous volume’s time jump, Maggie is leading the survivors on Hilltop Colony in Virginia. Peace continues to be elusive, though, and Carl’s increasingly violent behavior is just one of the problems threatening to tear the community apart. Meanwhile, the mysterious Whisperers are making themselves known, and may or may not pose a threat. (For those of you who just arrived: they probably pose a threat.)

A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume Four, by George R. R. Martin, and Daniel Abraham
The graphic novel adaption of George R.R. Martin’s original A Game of Thrones novel comes to a conclusion. In this one, Robb Stark gathers his army in order to march south and free his father; King Joffrey decides to nip that idea in the bud; Jon Snow heads beyond the wall, and Daenerys Targaryen loses a husband but gains a dragon or three. I have a really good feeling that everything’s going to turn out just fine for these guys. Good stuff, especially for those who can’t get enough Westerosi-style intrique.
What’s on your pull list?