The Best Comics & Graphic Novels of October 2018

Isola, Vol. 1: Barnes & Noble Exclusive, by Brenden Fletcher, Karl Kerschl, and Msassyk
Inspired by the work of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, but a fascinating journey all its own, Isola is the visually stunning story of two formidable women on a quest. The Queen of Maar is under the influence of an evil spell, and the captain of her guard will stop at nothing to save her—even though the only hope lies half a world away on the mythical island of Isola. This story of two formidable women on a quest is available in an exclusive B&N Exclusive Edition featuring design pages and pre-production materials and a 10-page prequel story.

To Kill a Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel, by Harper Lee and Fred Fordham
These days, we could all stand to reconsider the lessons of To Kill a Mockingbird, and this graphic novel adaptation offers up a new way to savor Harper Lee’s classic story of racism, injustice, and heroism in a small town. The themes are no less relevant or universal than they ever were, and Fordham’s art honors the original novel while casting new light on the world of Scout, Gem, Boo Radley, and Atticus.

Wonder Woman: Earth One, Vol. 2, by Grant Morrison, Yanick Paquette, and Nathan Fairbairn
Volume 1 of Morrison’s WW offshoot showed us Diana’s chance encounter with pilot Steve Trevor and her first journey to man’s world. The stellar creative team from that book—a highlight of the Amazon’s recent comic-book renaissance—returns for a run in which the American government grows suspicious of Diana’s peace-and-love message, and declares her a threat to society. Of course,  darker forces are happy to encourage the ensuing conflict.

Incognegro: Renaissance, by Mat Johnson, Warren Pleece, and Clem Robins
Ten years after the release of the groundbreaking, critically acclaimed graphic novel Incognegro, Johnson returns to the story of Zane Pinchback. The original followed the final assignment of a light-skinned reporter for a black newspaper in the 1930s, a man who had made a career going undercover investigating lynchings. This prequel goes back to the beginning of Zane’s career in Harlem of the roaring ’20s, and follows his investigation of the murder of a black writer at a scandalous party.

Marvelocity: The Marvel Comics Art of Alex Ross (B&N Exclusive Edition), by Alex Ross, Chip Kidd, and J. J. Abrams
Finally, Alex Ross’s work for Marvel comics receives the same treatment his DC work did in the bestselling Mythology. Marvelocity spotlights his signature hyper-real art on characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Panther, the Avengers, the X-Men, Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Fantastic Four. Drawing from both published and previously unseen work, as well as sketches and preparatory art, it also features a new 10-page Spider-Man story. The B&N Exclusive Edition also comes with a giant Spider-Man poster.

Saga, Vol. 9, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Saga is taking an extended break (for at least a year), but not before this game-changing volume comes to a brutal conclusion. The arc begins in the aftermath of Prince Robot IV’s idea to sell his life story to the press, a decision that has truly horrific ramifications for himself, his family, and for Marko, Alana, and Hazel. And, well, just about every other character. Only a book this good can traumatize us this much.

Avengers by Jason Aaron, Vol. 1: The Final Host, by Jason Aaron, Ed McGuinness, Paco Medina, and David Curiel
Two threads in the latest Avengers book quickly come together. The first involves a trio of the original Avengers—Thor Odinson, Steve Rogers, and Tony Stark—reuniting to rebuild the team after years of trauma and occasional villainy by the three of them. The second follows the Avengers of 1,000,000 BC, including Odin and the first Black Panther, who face the threat of the Celestials. Before long, 2,000-foot-tall space gods are falling from the modern-day skies as the team struggles to put itself back together.

Superman Isn’t Jewish, by Jimmy Bemon and Emilie Boudet
In this funny and heartfelt story, a young boy is inspired to believe that having a Jewish father is its own special superpower. He’s happy to share the knowledge, until one day in the school bathroom, when he realizes that he’s not quite like the other boys. Wanting to fit in, Jimmy takes on a dual-identity—one for his proud Jewish family, and another for his friends at school. With a Catholic mother and a Palestinian best friend, Jimmy’s internal conflict informs all of his relationships in this exploration of identity and adolescence.

Bad Friends, by Ancco and Janet Hong
Another coming-of-age story, though quite a bit darker. Jinju is growing up in South Korea of the 1990s, a culture caught between ultra-traditional ways and a growing modernism, with the role of women as a primary battleground. She drinks, smokes, and runs away from home, escaping a judging mother and an abusive father. It’s not a pleasant picture, but the heart of the book is in Jinju’s relationship with another girl, Jung-ae, and the power and importance of female friendship in difficult times.

Abbott, by Saladin Ahmed, Sami Kivela, and Jason Wordie
Hard-living, chain-smoking tabloid reporter Elena Abbott investigates a series of brutal, grisly crimes that the police have decided to ignore in the uncertain political climate of 1972 Detroit. The dark occult forces that she’s on the trail also took her husband from her, and she knows that the city’s elite are connected to the violence. She’s sworn to bring it all crashing down.

Kaijumax, Book One: Deluxe Edition, by Zander Cannon
Zander Cannon’s funny, visually vibrant monster battle series gets a new edition, collecting the first 12 issues alongside a whole lot of extras. The titular Kaijumax is the top security prison for giant monsters run by a corrupt space superhero. Doting father Electrogor struggles to avoid the kaiju gangs and to know when to stand up for himself, while Gupta works to pay off debts to the Queen of the Moon, and Mecha-Zon has to fight his instincts when his arch-nemesis arrives.

Asterix: Asterix and the Chariot Race, by Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad
Though lesser-known on this side of the pond, French/Belgian comic Asterix, who follows the adventures of a village of Gauls as they fight off Roman occupiers in 50 BC, is beloved in Europe, and has been since 1959. The latest volume sees protagonists Asterix and Obelix joining a high-stakes chariot race on behalf of their fellow Gauls against Roman senator Senator Lactus Bifidus, who has been charged by Julius Caesar to secure a Roman victory.

Exiles, Vol. 1: Test of Time, by Saladin Ahmed, Javier Rodriguez, Alvaro Lopez, and Rod Reis
Nick Fury, now Earth’s watcher on the moon, recruits teleporting Blink to reassemble the dimension-hopping Exiles. With the Time-Eater loose and devouring universes, Blink builds her team and leads them on adventures to worlds familiar and as-yet-unseen in a fun, action-packed book from suddenly prolific fantasy scribe-turned-comics writer Saladin Ahmed and a team of top-shelf collaborators.

Frankenstein Alive, Alive: The Complete Collection, by Steve Niles, Bernie Wrightson, and Kelley Jones
Headlined by Bernie Wrightson, the leading lights in horror comics come together for this sequel to the 1983 illustrated Frankenstein adaption that is, arguably, Wrightson’s magnum opus. The story continues as the monster struggles to rediscover his lost humanity, as scripted by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and with supplemental art by the great Kelley Jones, who completed the book following Wrightson’s untimely passing.

Beautiful Darkness, by Kerascoët, Fabien Vehlmann, and Helge Dascher
This truly unique horror story takes the form of a literal fairy tale, brought to life in beautiful watercolors. A group of newly homeless fairies tales refuge in the forest, lead by the optimistic Aurora. Unfortunately, darkness soon descends, as dangers from outside reflect growing rivalries within, threatening to tear the delicate community apart.

Infidel, by Pornsak Pichetshote, Aaron Campbell, Jose Villarrubia, and Jeff Powell
This modern haunted house story follows Aisha, a muslim woman who meets with hostility from the new neighbors in her apartment building. An act of violence years before set the stage for their xenophobia, but there’s a more tangible presence in the building, fueled by bigotry, possessing Aisha and tormenting all of them.

Anthony Bourdain’s Hungry Ghosts, by Anthony Bourdain, Joel Rose, Alberto Ponticelli, Vanesa Del Rey, and Mateus Santolouco
The late Bourdain’s final comics work is a perfect read for October: inspired by the kaidan tales of Edo Japan, it follows a Russian oligarch as he challenges an international group of chefs to the spirit-summoning parlor game of 100 candles. Each teller shares a tale of ghosts and demons, and each story brings the participants closer to the spirit world. The Bourdain twist is that each ghoulish tale is, naturally, food-related.

Kong on the Planet of the Apes, by Ryan Ferrier, Carlos Magno, and Alex Guimaraes
Has a pop-culture mash-up ever made quite as much sense as this one? Following the events of the original movie, Dr. Zaius and Ursus lead an expedition into the Forbidden Zone, only to discover evidence of very, very large apes on Skull Island. Cornelius and Zira are roped into a scientific expedition to uncover the truth about the last of the Kongs—a creature that they’ll leave right where they find it, if they know what’s good for ’em.

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Vol. 1, by Kieron Gillen, Jason Aaron, Kev Walker, Marco Checcetto, and Salvador Larroca
The breakout star of Marvel’s line of SW comics, Doctor Aphra, is the kind of scoundrel who fits perfectly into the galaxy’s seedier corners. She’s a tech-savvy archaeologist plundering the loot of whole planets alongside killer droids Triple-Zero and BeeTee-One. They’re on the run from the law as well as her former mentor, one Darth Vader. This new hardcover edition collects the first two trade paperback volumes as well as a crossover in which Aphra teams with Luke Skywalker.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Through The Mirror, by Scott Tipton, David Tipton, Chris Johnson, Marcus To, and Josh Hood
Captain Picard will soon return to television to lend light and wisdom to our dark timeline, but this book sees the evil (and scantily clad) denizens of the Mirror Universe’s Enterprise-D make an incursion into the Trek universe we know. They’re planning to infiltrate the friendlier, more polite, and more familiar crew of the ship from the good side of the mirror. Which one are we again?