October’s Top Picks in Graphic Novels

Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1: Vader, by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larocca
Marvel’s been doing a ton of cool stuff with its line of Star Wars comics. There’s not a dud in the bunch, but the solo book focused on everyone’s favorite Sith lord has been a highlight. Following the destruction of the first Death Star, Vader’s on the outs with Emperor Palpatine, and forced to prove his value to the Empire all over again. He’s playing a more complicated game, though, working behind Palpatine’s back to get his revenge on the Rebels. He’s even got his own sidekicks, including gleefully evil versions of C-3P0 and R2-D2. Fun stuff, especially if you like to see the bad guys gain ground.

Convergence, by Jeff King and Carlo Pagulayan
The entire multiverse is under attack! Brainiac has stolen 50 cities from across the history of DC Comics and brought them to the sentient world of Telos for a fight to the finish. Every significant era is represented in this old-school throwdown/mega-crossover. While not every world survives the battle, a few old-time heroes will be making a comeback as a result of the events chronicled here.

Batman, Vol. 6: Graveyard Shift (The New 52), by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
Out now in paperback! Scott and Greg’s mind-smooshing Endgame arc just wrapped up on the comic stands with a major (final?) throwdown between Batman and Joker. Graveyard Shift is the lead-in to that storyline, an essential setup one of the biggest Bat stories in years. Bruce deals with the aftermath of Damian’s death, we flash back to Zero Year, and, more importantly, we meet mysterious new ally Eric Border, soon to become a crucial character. This run on the title has been fearless, breaking rules and sending Batman off in new directions.

Jem and the Holograms: Showtime, by Sophie Campbell, Kelly Thompson
The upcoming movie is looking…we’ll say questionable, with the trailers indicating it departs from the plot of the TV show. Not always a bad thing, but Jem purists will want to look to this IDW series. Jerrica, Aja, Shana, and Kimber are rockin’ out and trying to stop the Misfits from disrupting a fundraiser at the Starlight Foundation. The book is set in the present, and the art has a bit of an anime feel. It’s a solid update, with all of the glamour, glitter, fashion, and fame you’d expect. Also: rad ’80s hair.

The Best American Comics 2015, by Jonathan Lethem
Since 2006, the Best American Comics series has been spotlighting the best and most groundbreaking work in comics, with a strong focus on the kind of independent work that tends to fly under the radar. Series editor Bill Kartalopoulos makes the initial selection what’s included, and this year’s edition is guest edited by Jonathan Lethem, author of The Fortress of Solitude. It’s the first time that a prose writer has taken on the role, but he’s clearly right at home in the medium.

EI8HT, Vol. 1: Outcast, by Rafael Albuquerque, Mike Johnson
Rafael Albuquerque, best-known for his work on American Vampire, is writing (with an assist from Mike Johnson) and doing the art for this time-hopping series. Joshua finds himself on a mission in time in exchange for…something. He’s made a deal with a team of scientists, but has lost his memory and finds himself cut off. It’s got dinosaurs.

Get Jiro: Blood and Sushi, by Anthony Bourdain, Joel Rose, and Ale Garza
No points if you’ve guessed that a graphic novel from Anthony Bourdain would involve cooking. This is a prequel to his deeply weird Get Jiro. That one was set in near-future Los Angeles and told the violent story of master chefs that run the city like crime lords. This ONE is about Jiro as a young man in Tokyo, chef-ing his way out from under the thumb of his father’s mob. If you like comics and/or sushi, this may well be the book for you.

Injection, Vol. 1, by Declan Shalvey and Warren Ellis
With Warren Ellis, you’re pretty much guaranteed a story with lots of big ideas ruminating on how our pasts impact our futures. In his latest high-concept science fiction book, five geniuses are trying to prevent the apocalypse that they’ve created. As agents of the British government, they each worked on something called Injection, which is due to have major consequences. Now, they have to stop it.

Killing and Dying, by Adrian Tomine
Indie powerhouse Drawn & Quarterly is publishing Adrian Tomine’s latest darkly funny work. Tomine’s been an artist for the New Yorker, though he’s probably best known for his Optic Nerve anthology series. This collection of stories includes tales of disastrously mistaken identity, parenthood, and mortality.

Orphan Black, Vol. 1, by Szymon Kudranski, John Fawcett, Graeme Manson, Jody Houser
It was only a matter of time—this show practically begs to be adapted into comic form. This graphic novel extends the world of the show by telling new stories of five individual clones, revealing new layers of the characters—beginning with Sarah herself.

Marvel’s The Avengers Encyclopedia, by Matt Forbeck, Daniel Wallace
You’ll never get past the written part of the Avengers entrance exam without this hefty reference guide. Promising to be the most extensive Avengers encyclopedia yet published, it includes copious amounts of data on storylines, powers, and origins. Perfect for filling in those pesky gaps in your comic knowledge, and given the size, it should also come in handy if you need to fend off Doctor Doom.

The Walking Dead Compendium, Volume 3 (B&N Exclusive Edition), by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard
The latest mega-compendium of Kirkman’s Walking Dead collects a full 47 chapters of the series, including the landmark 100th issue. Rick and the gang have settled down in peaceful Alexandria, but there’s a new human threat in the form of the creepy Whisperers. This version, exclusive to Barnes & Noble, features a unique variant cover as well as a poster.

The Fall of the House of West, by Paul Pope, J. T. Petty, David Rubin
The Rise of Aurora West gets a sequel from legendary writer/artist Paul Pope. Teenage monster-hunter Aurora is working to solve the mystery of her mother’s death while balancing school and training. Both series tie into Pope’s Battling Boy.

Two Brothers, by Gabriel Ba, Fabio Moon
Set in Brazil, Two Brothers plays it straight, telling the story of siblings separated in the wake of a violent incident. When Yaqub returns after years spent in Lebanon, he’s a stranger to his parents and family.

Avatar: The Last Airbender—Smoke and Shadow Part One, by Gene Luen Yang, and Gurihiru
The shared universe of Avatar and The Legend of Korra has been continuing in the comics, with new stories that expand upon the world of the Airbenders. In this volume, a prophecy promises the end of the Fire Nation if Zuko is not removed from the throne. Aang is caught in the middle as a civil war threatens to rip the nation apart.
What’s on your pull list this month?