The Best Comics & Graphic Novels of January 2017

Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, by Octavia E. Butler, John Jennings, and Damian Duffy
The late Octavia Butler wasn’t just an incredibly talented and entertaining writer, she was also an important one. Her science fiction masterpieces addressed issues of race and gender straight-on at a time when others were coming at those topics obliquely, if at all. Kindred, in which a young black woman is transported through time to the pre-Civil War American South, is one of her earliest and best, and there’s never been a better time for this graphic adaption to share her message with a wider audience.

Locke & Key: Small World Deluxe Edition, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
Three years later, Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez are back in the world of Keyhouse and Lovecraft, Mass. with a brand-new story. It revolves around a birthday gift: a key (no surprise) to a dollhouse, which, given the bloody history of Keyhouse, is not nearly as cute as it sounds. The key unlocks a tiny world, with a full-sized and very hungry spider, among other horrors. This fancy hardcover edition includes scripts and other ephemera.

Joe Hill: The Graphic Novel Collection, by Joe Hill, Stephen King, Jason Ciaramella, Chris Ryall, and Zach Howard
Speaking of horror writer Hill, this month also sees a collection of a variety of standalone works he’s produced for comics. He’s best known for his novels, and for Locke & Key in the graphic medium, but he’s been involved in several projects from a variety of collections and in partnership with talented collaborators, and most of them are collected here.

Batman, Vol. 1: I Am Gotham, by Tom King, David Finch, and Mikel Janin
DC’s Rebirth has reinvigorated the company’s superhero line over the last several months. Batman probably needed the least help, but King & Finch have nonetheless freshened him up following Bruce’s epic fall and rise in the previous run. These days, Batman’s working with a couple of super-powered metas who take the city very seriously: seriously enough that they might be ready to get the Bat out of the way when they decide he’s holding the city back.

Kill or Be Killed, Vol. 1, by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Elizabeth Breitweiser
Brubaker and Phillips have produced a handful of crime noir dramas (The Fade Out, Criminal, and Fatale), each more compelling than the previous. The latest is a violent story of vigilantism about a man forced into killing people, and the toll that takes on his life.

Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! Vol. 2: Don’t Stop Me-Ow, by Kate Leth and Brittney L. Williams
One of a few current books that serve as reminders that superhero comics can succeed by turning down the angst and cranking up the fun, Patsy Walker has plenty of action and a diverse supporting cast. There’s a bit of drama in the latest volume, as Patsy’s worried about her pal She-Hulk, badly injured in the Civil War II book, and she winds up getting on the wrong side of Jessica Jones. While that’s all going on, she meets the Black Cat and takes on a new evil superteam made up entirely of Patsy’s ex-boyfriends.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Vol. 2: Cosmic Cooties, by Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, Marco Failla, and Natacha Bustos
Another fun, all-ages book from Marvel, this one stars Luna Lafayette and her pal Devil Dinosaur, who’s trying to lay low in New York City. In volume 2, the pair swaps bodies just in time for Luna’s big test at school; later, Luna finds herself with a new nemesis in 9-year-old Kid Kree.

The Flash, Vol. 1: Lightning Strikes Twice, by Joshua Williamson and Carmine Di GIandomenico
Flash has been the centerpoint of DC’s Rebirth initiative, focusing on Barry’s realization that he was responsible for the Flashpoint that, years ago, threw the DC universe into chaos. The main story, though, is about an unleashing of the Speed Force on Central City, creating an entire army of speedsters for Barry to train. Of course, not everyone with new speed powers plans to use them for good.

Voltron: Legendary Defender, Vol. 1, by Tim Hedrick, Mitch Iverson, and Digital Art Chefs
The Netflix series has brought new life to a venerable franchise, which means that Voltron’s back in the comics as well. This book is set between the first and just-released second season of the show, and is written by the head writer from the cartoon.

Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 2, by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Chris Sprouse
Coates and Sprouse’s reinvention of Black Panther continues. It’s potentially dodgy when big-name writers from outside of comics are brought onto a title, but essayist and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates has produced not only a spectacularly thoughtful and exciting story, he’s also shown staying power (volume 3 will be out in March). In volume 2, the collapse of Wakanda continues, finding T’Challa isolated as his people move to rise against their king.

Last Sons of America, by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Matthew Dow Smith, and Doug Garbark
How’s this for a fascinating and incredibly disturbing sci-fi premise: in the near future, a biological terrorist attack makes it impossible for Americans to conceive children. Only through global adoption can families carry on, but a legal and orderly system soon gives way for a murky underground of child kidnapping. Chilling.

Kim & Kim, Vol. 1: This Glamorous, High-Flying Rock Star Life, by Magdalene Visaggio, Matt Pizzolo, Katy Rex, Eva Cabrera, and Claudia Aguirre
Punk pals Kim and Kim are space bounty hunters in a day-glo future world, in over their heads in the challenging world of cowboy law enforcement. If you care about representation in addition to great, goofy storytelling, know that Kim D is a cis bi woman, and Kim Q is queer and trans (the book is written by a trans woman). This one deserves the praise it has received for its high-energy sense of fun—but also for widening the view of who can be a comic book heroes.

Injustice: Year Two The Complete Collection, by Tom Taylor
It may sound like faint praise to say that Injustice is probably the best video game spin-off comic ever, but the book is still going strong almost four years after the release of the game that spawned it. In this collection, from the second year of the series, Batman and Superman are still at odds in a dystopian version of the DCU in which Superman’s loved ones were killed by the Joker, setting him off on an authoritarian rampage. The Green Lantern Corps is coming to put an end to Superman’s wrongdoing, but they won’t have an easy time of it.

Justice League,Vol. 1: The Extinction Machines, by Bryan Hitch and Tony S. Daniel
The new book features an all-star creative team along with a League that’s familiar, plus a major new addition: Superman, stepping in to replace the younger, New 52 version that died a few months back. He’s a stranger to the DC’s current heroes, and his presence is throwing the team dynamic just as the extinction machines are on their way to Earth.

Star Wars: Han Solo, by Marjorie Liu and Mark Brooks
There’s room for a little fun in the SW universe, and Marjorie Liu’s book wisely finds Han Solo going undercover for the Rebellion as a contestant in the galaxy’s biggest starship race: the Dragon Void. In the Millennium Falcon, he’s tasked with rescuing informants and spies, but also he really, really wants to win.
What’s on your pull list?