The Best Comics & Graphic Novels of September 2018

Home After Dark: A Novel, by David Small
Small has won multiple awards for his children’s books, but this one goes deeper and darker, boasting some of the most impressive art of his career. It’s a ferocious story of male adolescence, following a 13-year-old named Russell Pruitt, who is growing up with an alcoholic father in a 1950s America that has little to do with nostalgic notions of the era. A brutal and impressive book.

Stalker Prism, by Sloane Leong and Ariana Maher
The beginning of a new and decidedly bizarre bio-punk sci-fi epic, Stalker Prism is the impressive creation of writer/artist/colorist Leong, who bleeds out an ambitious story onto the page in lurid hues and near-tactile textures. Outside colonized space lies the a newly discovered planet with a truly alien environment, its plant life seeming to exhibit powerful psychic and telekinetic abilities. Vep, a refugee indentured to an alien race called the Sverans, is one of the first tasked with settling this strange new world, but spending too much time on the surface may prove fatal to her sanity.

Monstress, Vol. 3 (B&N Exclusive Edition), by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
In the shadow of war, teenager Maika Halfwolf shares a psychic connection with a powerful monster. The latest chapter in this multiple Eisner-winning epic fantasy series (which has also collected three Hugo Awards) sees Maika forced to find allies as invasion looms. Confronting trauma and racism with a cast of powerful and nuanced women, this visually stunning nightmare of a series is one of the most acclaimed currently publishing. Once again, fans take note: B&N has an exclusive edition featuring variant cover art and a two-sided pull-out poster..

Oblivion Song by Kirkman & De Felici, Vol. 1, by Robert Kirkman, Lorenzo De Felici, and Annalisa Leoni
A new Robert Kirkman book is naturally a big deal—and, if the past is any indication, this one is also likely to become a TV series at some point, so you might as well get on board now. A portal to an apocalyptic hellscape exists near what used to be Philadelphia; it claimed 300,000 citizens a decade ago, sucking the entire cities into the monster-haunted other world. Nathan Cole hasn’t given up on them, but the more he visits Oblivion searching for survivors—and answers—the more he finds himself drawn there.

Twisted Romance, Vol. 1, by Alex de Campi, Katie Skelly, Alejandra Gutierrez, and Carla Speed McNeil
Alex de Campi heads up an all-star team of artists for this anthology collecting four stories of, you guessed it,  delightfully twisted romance. There are disco-era demon love, space captains, pirates, dragons, and more. The book also includes several prose stories and some bonus shorts.

Skyward, Vol. 1: My Low-G Life, by Joe Henderson, Lee Garbett, Antonio Fabela, and Simon Bowland
One day, out of the blue, Earth’s gravity becomes a small fraction of what it is now. There are dangers, but in a lot of ways it’s pretty cool. Willa Fowler’s lived her entire life in this low gravity environment, and has no interest in seeing things go back to the way they were—even though her dad is part of a secret project to bring gravity back.A great concept floats even higher thanks to the stellar artwork.

The Walking Dead, Vol. 30: New World Order, by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Stefano Gaudiano, Cliff Rathburn, and Dave Stewart
When the series began, Robert Kirkman promised a zombie story that would go well beyond the length of a typical horror movie. He was not lying. The latest volume—the 30th!—introduces Governor Pamela Milton of the Commonwealth, a network of communities that might represent a new start for humanity. If tradition holds, everything will go great and no one will die horribly at all.

Marvel Studios Visual Dictionary, by Adam Bray
It’s been a decade since Iron Man burst onto the screen, pulling 20 films’ (and counting) worth of helicarriers, infinity stones, mystical hammers, and Wakandan vibranium in his wake. With dozens of full-color entries, this book spotlights the key building blocks of a Marvel movie universe that’s only getting bigger—how many franchises can pull off a film like Black Pantherthis far into the game?

Kick-Ass: The New Girl, Vol. 1, by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.
There’s a new Kick-Ass in town: Patience Lee, an Afghan war vet and single mom who’s robbing big-name criminals in order to clear up old debts. She’s very different from original Kick-Ass Dave Lizewski, to say the least, but the book feels of a piece in its in-your-face violence but the original creators Millar and Romita are on hand for the next chapter in the vigilante saga.

Invader ZIM, Vol. 6, by Eric Trueheart, Sarah Graley, Sam Logan, Maddie C., and Mady G.
All new adventures starring the feckless conqueror. ZIM gets a surprising new neighbor, finds himself dramatically sped-up after his attempts to control time go awry, and deals with the ramifications of Darkpoop, the newest flavor of Poop Cola.

Star Wars: Thrawn, by Jody Houser and Luke Ross
Houser and Ross adapt Timothy Zahn’s origin novel exploring the early days of the blue-skinned Grand Admiral. From a provincial background, the brilliant and cunning tactician rises to become one of the Empire’s most important figures in the days leading up to the construction of the first Death Star. The beloved character’s backstory is retold in brilliant art that brings the space epic to life.

Berlin Book Three: City of Light, by Jason Lutes
This powerful tracking the rise of fascism in the Weimar Republic concludes as Adolf Hitler enters Berlin. As Germany becomes increasingly divided, Lutes focuses on the everyday women and men drawn to and seduced by the many promises of the Nazi party as they gradually yield democracy out of greed, anger, desperation, or apathy.

Batman/Catwoman: The Wedding Album—The Deluxe Edition, by Tom King and Mikel Janin
It’s no spoiler at this point (thanks, New York Times) to note that the wedding of the century didn’t exactly go off without a hitch, but the story behind the romance that is the stuff of one of pop culture’s longest-running flirtations is nevertheless a milestone, even amid writer Tom King and artist Mikel Janin’s current run. This hardcover collects the wedding issue alongside with plenty of additional art, variant covers, and everything else a Cat/Bat shipper might ask for.

Absolute Batman: The Killing Joke (30th Anniversary Edition), by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland
DC’s Absolute Editions offer up iconic stories in an oversized hardcover format and pack in an array of extras. Which makes this the definitive version of Moore and Bolland’s classic, controversial story, which features a shocking act of violence that leads to the ultimate confrontation between Batman and The Joker.

Star Trek: Discovery—The Light of Kahless, by Mike Johnson, Kirsten Beyer, and Tony Shasteen
Following the death of Klingon leader T’Kuvma early in the new streaming TV series, Voq and L’Rell work to unify the budding empire in his absence. The first comics spin-off from the series, Kahless also provides the backstory of T’Kuvma and the origins of his quest, making it a prequel of sorts to the show.

Age of Bronze, Vol. 1: A Thousand Ships (New Edition), by Eric Shanower
The early volumes of Shanower’s long-running series about the Trojan War are getting an update: new editions with color from artist John Dellaire, for the first time. It’s a great time to hop on the trireme and set sail on the earthy, human, and thoroughly researched journey.

Woman World, by Aminder Dhaliwal
As a web comic, Dhaliwal’s sharply funny series has a large and devoted fanbase. A birth defect has wiped out the world’s entire population of men, and only the very elderly can now remember a time when boys were anything other than legend. In comic vignettes, the power of women is unleashed in the new world, but, given that scientists are unable to find a way to replicate reproduction, it’s also something very like a slow apocalypse.

Sugar, Vol. 1, by Matt Hawkins, Jenni Cheung, and Yishan Li
Billed as a companion volume to Hawkins’ Swing as well as S&M epic Sunstone, Sugar is an adult relationship drama that follows two people who begin a relationship that’s more of a business arrangement, and are dismayed to find themselves falling into a complicated love affair. The story of a transactional Sugar Daddy turned to genuine emotion might not be for everyone, but co-writers Hawkins and Cheung walk confidently on dangerous ground, crafting a believable story of two emotional misfits in a situation neither expected, and Li’s art is low-key and relatable when it isn’t downright sexy.

Girl Town, by Carolyn Nowak
This book collects several stories from award-winning cartoonist Nowack, each offering a poignant and funny look at the search for meaning and connection in young adulthood. Diana gets herself a robot boyfriend, Mary and La-La start a podcast, and Kelly and Beth head out for an unforgettable day at the market. The book collects Nowak’s anthology work, now colored, alongside new material.

Twists Of Fate, by Paco Roca
Roca uses fictional character to tell the real-life story of La Nueve, a company of Spanish republicans who went from fighting for democracy in Spain to fighting fascist Nazis during the liberation of Paris. Miguel Ruiz is a veteran exiled in France, and his recollections evoke an era when ordinary people bravely stood up to violent fascism.

COLD WAR, Vol. 1, by Christopher Sebela, Mike Marts, and Hayden Sherman
People thought that getting their heads frozen by Panacea Cryonics would be the perfect way to cheat death: one day, when technology advanced enough, they’d be rebuilt and given back their lives. Well, they get their wish, except upon waking up, they’re also immediately handed guns, body armor, and told whom to fight, made pawns in a game and a war they don’t understand. Which is pretty much what would really happen if this technology actually existed.

Avengers: Back to Basics (Marvel Premiere Graphic Novel), by Peter David, Brian Level, and Juanan Ramirez
The idea here is to present stories with a classic-age feel, inviting to both new and old readers. In this case, that’s accomplished by revisiting the early days of the Avengers. Legendary writer Peter David lets superhero and super-fan Ms. Marvel (aka Kamala Khan) enjoy discovering the team’s foundational adventures just before she’s thrown into the past to team-up with the OG crew herself.

I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 4: Sadly Never After, by Skottie Young, Jean-Francois Beaulieu,and Nate Piekos
Skottie Young’s series is a delightfully bloody romp through a magical land ruled over by a little girl who can never grow up, and is sick of it. In the latest, Gertrude’s impact on Fairyland is explored with the help of supporting characters like Larry and Duncan Dragon who take the spotlight.