September’s Top Picks in Graphic Novels: Saga Continues, a Boy Robot and His Dog, and a Visit to Bitch Planet

Jessica Jones: Alias, Vol. 1, by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos
Relatively new to the Marvel scene, Jessica Jones first appeared in 2001, and the series is being reprinted in time for the character’s Netflix debut later this year. She made quite an impression from the beginning: a chain-smoking ex-superhero who could never quite cut it. As this volume opens, she’s just opened Alias Investigations, casting herself as a hard-boiled private detective specializing in superhuman cases. She’s quickly caught in a conspiracy involving Captain America and winds up on a date with Scott Lang (aka Ant-Man). It’s an R-rated spin on the Marvel U.

Descender, Vol. 1: Tin Stars, by Dustin Nguyen and Jeff Lemire
Another to add to our list of graphic novels for sci-fi fans, this is the story of a robot boy and his dog (also a robot) trying to stay alive in a hostile universe. Androids are outlawed, and TIM-21 is being hunted throughout space. It’s a sweet, action-filled epic with gorgeous art that was optioned by Hollywood before the first issue even hit the stands.

Bitch Planet, Vol. 1, by Valentine De Landro and Kelly Sue DeConnick
In the very near-future, we’ve found a solution to the problem of women who refuse to conform: PRISON IN SPACE. Funny, violent, and unapologetically feminist, this book tells a very different story of women behind bars. Both an homage to and a parody of old exploitation films, it’s a biting social critique with plenty to say about the ways we treat women who refuse to follow the rules.

Saga, Vol. 5, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
A new chapter in this ongoing sci-fi/fantasy adventure series is always an event. Alana and Marko are star-crossed lovers from opposite sides of a brutal interstellar war. In this volume, Marko is hunting for a pair of missing children with a little help from a thoroughly unreliable robot, while Gwendolyn and Sophie search for an elixir to cure The Will.

The Walking Dead, Vol. 24: Life and Death, by Robert Kirkman
In the latest chapter of the undead saga, Michonne is back among her old friends at the Hilltop community, but things aren’t going all that well otherwise. Security against the walkers only brings the threat of the mysterious Whisperers into clearer focus. Led by Alpha, these humans have formed a cult and survived by covering themselves in roamer skin in order to confuse the zombies. And they’re not very nice. If you’ve been collecting the giant hardcovers, Book 12 is also out this month.

Outcast by Kirkman & Azaceta, Vol. 2, by Paul Azaceta and Robert Kirkman
Speaking of Robert Kirkman, the second volume of his latest horror series is coming out. Kyle Barnes teams up with a reverend to uncover the secrets behind his demonically possessed friends and loved ones. Read it before it debuts as a series on Cinemax early next year.

Ann Tenna: A Novel, by Marisa Acocella Marchetto
Cartoonist and satirist Marisa Acocella Marchetto made a huge splash in 2006 with her semi-autobiographical graphic novel Cancer Vixen, so a new book from her is kind of a big deal. This. time, she’s taking on social media with the story of modern gossip columnist Ann Tenna, who runs the Gawker-like website Eyemauler. Her journey of self-discovery begins with a near-fatal accident, a cosmic double, and Jimi Hendrix.

Captain Marvel, Vol. 3: Alis Volat Propriis, by Marvel Comics
With Secret Wars on the horizon, cosmic Avenger (and soon-to-be Marvel movie star) Carol Danvers is back for more. The Haffensye Consortium, a species of Vibranium-loving mercenaries, is on the hunt for the Captain and her pal Tic. She’s also got space pirates to deal with, so it looks like Carol won’t be getting a break anytime soon.

Batman, Vol. 7: Endgame, by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
Snyder and Capullo have been anything but timid during their run on Batman, and their epic reaches a critical point with the hero’s final battle with the Joker (OK, it’s probably not final—but it actually sorta feels like it is). After their confrontation in Death of the Family, Joker’s just about had it with the Bat. Where before he’d always felt a twisted kinship, he’s now ready for a breakup, and his latest plan leaves Bruce cut off from his friends and Gotham in shambles. They might have to find a new Batman by the time it’s done. Though the story is largely self-contained, grab The Joker: Endgame for the spin-offs.

The Flash, Vol. 5: History Lessons (The New 52), by Brian Buccellato and Patrick Zircher
A 19th-century jewel swindle that ends in murder has consequences for the Flash of today as he struggles to deal with the consequences of his recent battle with the Reverse-Flash. This one’s also got the no-longer-secret origin of Flash’s friendship with Green Lantern.

The Flash Season Zero, by Andrew Kreisberg, Phil Hester, and Marcus To
Fans who cannot get enough of the TV Flash (aka me) should enjoy this digital-first series. The stories are are largely by the creative talent behind the show, with new villains and a further expansion of the mythology. There’s even some love for Team Arrow, with an appearance by Felicity Smoak and a visit from the Suicide Squad.

Wonder Woman, Vol. 6: Bones (The New 52), by Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang, Goran Sudzuka
The concluding volume in Azzarello and Chiang’s controversial-but-brilliant run is now out in paperback. Wonder Woman leads the Amazons in the final battle for Olympus, but the story has been as much about the human Zola and her baby Zeke, and that’s where the real stakes lie. Diana is fighting as much to protect her friends from the machinations of the gods as she is for the fate of Olympus. I’m not sure how long some of Azzarello’s tweaks to WW’s mythology will last, or even how long they should, but this has been a compelling story, and a high-point of the New 52.

Sweet Tooth Deluxe Edition, Book One, by Jeff Lemire
If you haven’t caught Jeff Lemire’s Sweet Tooth yet, this new fancy hardcover includes the entire first year of the series. It’s the story of hybrid children coming of age in the wake of the Affliction, a global catastrophe that wiped out billions and caused strange mutations in unborn children. Gus was born with the features of a deer, and is rescued from hunters by Jeppard, a man of violence. The two travel together, each changing the other.

Intro to Alien Invasion, by Owen King, Mark Jude Poirier, and Nancy Ahn
A hurricane traps in close quarters the various cliques of a small liberal arts college in Vermont. Not so bad, except that microscopic alien life forms are on the loose, turning classmates into giant humanoid insects. Overachiever Stacey takes it upon herself to save her classmates. It’s a grotesque parody of modern college life, billed as Edgar Wright meets Eli Roth. Sounds good to me.

Aliens: Salvation, by Mike Mignola and Dave Gibbons
This collaboration by legendary creators Mike Mignola (Hellboy) and Dave Gibbons (Watchmen) is back in print and in hardcover. The mad captain of the space ship Nova Maru is forced to abandon ship with a particularly pious crewman. They find themselves on a remote world, and, as you’d expect, they’re not alone.
What’s on your pull list this month?