Graphic Novel Roundup: Surf’s Up, Damian’s Back, and Who’s Here

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor, Vol.1, by Robbie Morrison, Dave Taylor, Alice X. Zhang
For the truest Whovians among us, the wait between seasons can be positively unendurable. Even if you happen to have a TARDIS lying around (in which case: come get me), skipping the summer just to catch new episodes in the fall is, probably, not the best use of your artron energy. The next best thing? New stories of Doctor #12 (give or take), set during the most recent season. 2000AD alum Robbie Morrison pretty well nails the main characters, which is especially impressive given the new-ness of Peter Capaldi’s portrayal. The relationship between Clara and the Doctor is every bit as cranky and complicated as you’d expect, and they’re taking on an adventure that begins with a skiing trip to a world mysteriously and unexpectedly devoid of snow, but full of, you know…terror.

Batman and Robin, Vol. 6: The Hunt for Robin (The New 52), by Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason
He may be the snottiest Robin, but you can’t help but love Damian Wayne. His solo book, Robin: Son of Batman, kicks off this month, and this penultimate volume of Tomasi and Gleason’s Batman and Robin sets the stage: Ra’s al Ghul, it’s revealed, has hidden an incredibly powerful artifact called the Chaos Shard inside Damian’s sarcophagus, and the minions of Darkseid are hunting for it. Batman’s not at all thrilled his son’s remains have been Boom-Tubed away to Apokolips, and so the hunt is on, with the help of an assortment of super-powered guest stars. Given that new series, it’s not much of a spoiler to suggest that Damian’s days as a corpse might be numbered. Also, Volume 5: The Big Burn, is new in paperback this week.

Silver Surfer, Vol. 2: Worlds Apart, by Dan Slott, Mike Allred
With the big doings at Marvel lately, this fun cosmic series has flown a bit under the radar. It’s a shame, because Dan Slott’s quirky style pairs perfectly with Mike Allred’s cartoony, expressive art. There’s a Doctor Who-ish vibe to the current run, which plops the Surfer alongside plain-old-human Dawn Greenwood. She’s learning about saving the universe from him, and he’s experiencing the joy of exploration through her eyes. Initially they were teamed through a chance encounter, but Dawn’s now a willing, indispensable participant. In this volume, a adventures lead team Surfer back to where it all began: confrontation with the world-devourer Galactus.

Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 2—Revelations, by Brian Bendis, David Marquez
Is this the end of the road for Miles Morales? Marvel’s Ultimate Universe is coming crashing down, but it’s looking more and more as though Miles will be one of the very few survivors. He’s getting a new book in the fall, losing all of the qualifiers, and settling in as plain ol’ Spider-Man. Revelations lays the groundwork for all of that, with the secret of the mysteriously resurrected (maybe) Peter Parker front-and-center. Lots of secrets and long-simmering mysteries come into play: Mile’s  girlfriend, his father, and his powers all tie into the end of the beginning for Ultimate Spidey.

Zoo: The Graphic Novel, by James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge
There’s more than one way to get your James Patterson fix, and this adaptation of his bestseller Zoo is new in paperback. Jackson Oz is a scientist trying to convince world leaders that the increasing number attacks by mammals on humans isn’t mere coincidence: it’s an coordinated plan to wipe out humanity. Which, you know, we probably deserve, not that I’m planning to side with the lions. Andy MacDonald is behind the art for this story of animals gone wild. There’s a TV miniseries coming later this month, as well. Be careful out there.
What’s on your pull list?