The Best Graphic Novels of March

Archie, Vol. 1, by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples
Archie comics has been on a major winning streak over the past few years. The Married Life did the unthinkable in having Archie marry both Betty and Veronica in two seperate complex and not-entirely-rosy futures. Kevin Keller introduced a (gasp!) gay protagonist to the all-ages Archie-verse, while The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Afterlife with Archie somehow became two of the best pure horror books on the stands. In the spirit of those books, this new Archie could have been a disaster. Reboots are always a risky proposition, but this one is done right: it keeps everything that works about Archie and puts a new gloss on the origin off of the Riverdale gang. It doesn’t hurt that Mark Waid and Fiona Staples are two of the most talented creators working today.

Phonogram, Volume 3: The Immaterial Girl, by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, and Matt Wilson
Gillen and McElvie take a break from The Wicked + The Divine to return to their other series about the power of music, one that’s been on hiatus since 2010. Sales weren’t spectacular on the first two volumes, though they became easy critical and cult favorites, and it’s great that the team has the opportunity to return for one final(?) volume. The series is about mages who use the medium of Britpop to channel magical power, with each chapter strongly influenced by particular albums from bands like Pulp, TV on the Radio, Elastica, etc. The Immaterial Girl returns to the story of Emily Aster, the girl who sold half her soul and who discovers that her missing part is alive in another realm. 

The Beauty, Vol. 1, by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley
How’s this for a high concept? There’s a new sexually transmitted disease that’s running wild, but it’s one that everyone wants: catch it, and you’re guaranteed to grow more beautiful and closer to physical perfection. Sounds too good to be true? Detectives Vaughn and Foster agree with you, and they’re on their way to discovering the rather terrible cost. It’s not long before some very powerful people and a ruthless mercenary are out to silence them both.

Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling, by Tony Cliff
Nineteenth-century adventuress Delilah Dirk is back for more adventures, following her critically acclaimed debut in 2013’s Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant. In her latest misadventure, she and her friend Selim take to the pursuit of a traitorous British soldier. Making their way to England, the pair aren’t welcomed as heroes, but are accused of espionage themselves. She takes refuge with her upper-class family, but finds her life of privilege as stifling as any prison sentence. Expect a lot of all-ages action, some very pretty art, and more of the heartfelt but funny friendship between Delilah and Selim.

Tokyo Ghost, Volume 1: Atomic Garden, by Rick Remender and Sean Murphy
The dream-team pairing of Rick Remender and Sean Murphy would make this book a must-read, almost regardless of the story. Remender’s sharp sci-fi sensibilities made the Uncanny X-Force a prestige book for Marvel, and Low has been a book of his that we’ve loved most recently. Murphy’s sharp, hard-edged style has been a highlight of books like The Wake and Punk Rock Jesus. In addition to the all-star roster, the book has a great, and cynical, hook: in Los Angeles of 2089, we’ve been overwhelmed by technology, living for the pings and pops and our screens. A law-enforcement duo that’s been torn apart by the tech finds itself with one last job in the last place on earth that still does things the old-fashioned way: Tokyo.

Secret Wars, by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic
Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić’s epic crossover event is available in this appropriately chunky hardcover. These type of nutso events tend to generate a lot of mixed feelings in comics fans, but there’s not doubt that Marvel put a couple of its tippity-top talents on a story that has been in the making since Hickman took over Fantastic Four in 2009. In Secret Wars, all of Marvel’s various parallel universes and timelines are destroyed, with some of the best bits and pieces of each preserved by the now ultra-powerful God Emperor Doom on Battleworld. It all builds to a showdown between Reed Richards and Doom that leads straight into a new Marvel U.

Batman, Vol. 8: Superheavy, by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
Snyder and Capullo’s long run on Batman is coming to an end (they recently announced), giving added weight (get it?) to Superheavy. Following the catastrophic events of Endgame (available this month in paperback), Bruce Wayne is out of the Bat-business entirely. Everyone knows, however, that Gotham can’t go long without a Bat-themed protector, so Powers Industries builds a high-tech suit and recruits a new hero: none other than a slimmed-down, toned up Commissioner Gordon. It’s a new twist that works surprisingly well: we’ve seen a lot of other guys in the Batsuit, but none with Jim Gordon’s more down-to-earth qualities, not to mention an impeccable pedigree as a hero of Gotham City.

Ivar, Timewalker, Vol. 3: Ending History, by Fred Van Lente and Pere Pérez
Harvey Award-nominated artist Pere Pérez joins up with one of the most accessible, entertaining books in the sprawling Valiant universe. Neela Sethi is a physicist caught in time—and she only has her future self to blame. While working inside the Large Hadron Collider, she was visited by Ivar, past-and-future history’s most ubuitous (and loudmouthed) time traveler, who warned her that her future self would soon invent time travel, and through the time-space continuum into chaos. Since then, she’s been yanked from one time period to another as she and Ivar try to set things right while battling shadowy forces—including other versions of themselves. If you love time travel stories that aren’t afraid of eating the entire bag of logic pretzels, this one makes a tasty snack.

Snowpiercer 3: Terminus, by Olivier Bocquet, Jean-Marc Rochette
The first volume of Snowpiercer took more than thirty years and a major motion picture before anyone thought to translate the book from French. The second had a little shorter gap (about a decade), but thanks to that movie we’ve just about caught up: this new third volume was just released a few months ago in France, and already we’re privileged with an English translation of the story of the titular train and the class system that rules the passengers. While the first two volumes told an essentially complete story, this third volume picks up on the thread of a stray signal from the other side of the frozen ocean. The tiny bit of hope provides a bit of hope and added stakes for the train’s survivors.

Starfire, Vol. 1: Welcome Home, by Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, and Emanuela Lupacchino
There have been some…concerns…with Starfire’s portrayal in the modern DC Universe. It felt as though a naïve and generally kid-friendly hero had been taken down a dark path or two. Conner and Palmiotti take a much brighter approach, emphasizing Starfire’s essential goodness, but also mining her perpetual fish-out-of-water status for humor. The Key West setting is emblematic of the cheerier take on the character, and it’s nice to have Kori back.

Patience, by Daniel Clowes
It’s been about five years since the original graphic novel from Clowes, the indie mastermind behind Ghost World. There aren’t a lot of details about the plot floating around, but the publisher is promising “an indescribable psychedelic science-fiction love story.” Sold.

Imperium, Vol. 3: The Vine Imperative, by Joshua Dysart
Toyo Harada has spent his life guiding humanity from the shadows, using his incredible mind powers to steer history from the sidelines. As this series opens, he’s been revealed to the world and has become the most wanted man on the planet. Ever. In volume three, the coalition that he’s forged to impose his will openly and by force is under grave threat from undercover alien spies known as the Vine. The series has gone a bit under-the-radar, but it’s a twisty-turny sci-fi thriller.

Bill & Ted’s Most Triumphant Return, by Brian Lynch and Jerry Gaylord
Strange things are afoot at the Circle K. Once the poor cousin of both comics and the films on which they were based, spin-off books like this one have come into their own, with talented creators telling stories that feel true to the beloved source material. And, since we’re probably never going to get that new Bill & Ted movie, this new book will serve as a gnarly continuation of the epic saga.

Star Wars: Chewbacca, by Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto
Roooarrgh! The latest in an incredibly strong and consistent run of Star Wars-based comics from Marvel, this one puts good ol’ Chewie in the spotlight. Set just after the Battle of Yavin from the original Star Wars movie, Chewbacca crashes on an Imperial-occupied planet with no means of escape. Luckily, he’s got some help from a strong-willed local girl named Zorro.

DC Comics: Bombshells, Vol. 1, by Marguerite Bennett and Marguerite Sauvage
Improbably based upon a line of World War II-themed statues, the two Marguerites (Bennett and Sauvage) take us back to a 1940s in which DC’s super-powered female heroes fight on the front lines. Not only is it a ton of fun beyond the period-aesthetic, but each character (Batwoman, Supergirl, and Wonder Woman, among others) has a surprising amount of depth, and together have a great deal of diversity.

Harley Quinn and Power Girl, by Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Stephane Roux
Spinning off from Harley Quinn, the team same team that made that book such crazy fun tells a new story about a team-up with Power Girl. A throwaway gag in Harley Quinn had her becoming the sidekick of an amnesiac Power Girl, and this book tells the wacky story of their adventures together in an alternate universe, battling an amorous warlord (for starters).

Captain America: White, by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
In the same manner as Loeb and Sale’s beloved books Spider-Man: Blue, Daredevil: Yellow, and Hulk: Gray, this book finds our hero facing a deeply personal loss and reflecting back to an earlier and more innocent time in Marvel history. In this case, that means an adventure starring Cap, Bucky, and the Howling Commandos during World War II. This one’s been in the works for quite some time, and is highly anticipated.

Black Canary, Vol. 1: Kicking and Screaming, by Brenden Fletcher and Annie Wu
DC has done a pretty great job of reinventing some of its characters, particularly the ladies, to add a little fun and maybe appeal to new audiences. Brendan Fletcher had great success on Batgirl, and now it’s Black Canary’s turn. She’s not just one of comics’ butt-kickingest heroes, she’s now the lead singer in a rock band. It’s a new direction that works surprisingly well, especially when she has to train her bandmates to fight.

Bloody Mary, by Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis is set to become an even bigger name, given the forthcoming adaption to television of his magnum opus, the violent, blasphemous, but surprisingly moving Preacher series. It’s not a bad time to revisit some of his earlier work, including this grim-and-gritty action series from the mid-’90s. It all takes place in the distant future world of 2012, and follows on from a devastating world war between the US and Europe that began in 1999. The star of the series is Corporal “Bloody Mary” Malone, a special forces commando who leads a team to the Himalayas to capture an organism that confers immortality. The book’s violence is an Ennis touch, as is a protagonist who occasionally sneaks around dressed as a nun.

The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture, by Glen Weldon
Finally, a little shout-out to a prose work: NPR critic Glen Weldon’s book on Superman was insightful and funny, so his take on Batman should be well worth checking out. The focus here is on Batman’s long history, and specifically on those things that have made the character so resonant for so long, and the ways in which the Caped Crusader’s own passions on the page and onscreen have inspired real-life geek culture.
What’s on your pull-list?