The Best Comics & Graphic Novels of May

Doctor Strange, Vol. 1: The Way of the Weird, by Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo
Aaron and Bachalo are channeling old-school Sorcerer Supreme action in this new book, coming out just in time to reacquaint us with the good doctor before Mr. Cumberbatch makes his debut in the forthcoming movie. On the page, Jason Aaron is sending Dr. Strange on a series of dark adventures through the mystical realms; Chris Bachalo’s art perfectly captures the weird and scary nature of the Doctor’s otherworldly haunts.

The Twilight Children, by Gilbert Hernández, Dave Stewart, and Darwyn Cooke
Indie master Hernández (Love and Rockets) teams with superstar artists Darwin Cooke and Dave Stewart for this new book from DC’s Vertigo imprint. The haunting sic-fi adventure dabbles in the supernatural when the lives of the villagers in a Latin American fishing village are disrupted by a mysterious orb that leaves all the children blind.

Deadpool: World’s Greatest, Vol. 1: Millionaire With A Mouth, by Gerry Duggan and Mike Hawthorne
In the wake of a mega-successful film, the new superhero hotness that is Deadpool quite naturally has a new comic series out too. In keeping with his meta, fourth-wall-breaking style, it finds the Merc with a Mouth dealing with mega-stardom as he becomes a movie star in his own book. With all of that on his plate, he’s gathered a team of freelance “heroes” to hire out in order to make extra cash on the side.

Rat Queens, Vol. 3: Demons, by Kurtis J. Wiebe
Wiebe’s series continues to be a fave, for the way it both celebrates and takes a battle axe to sword-and-sorcery tropes by adding in some hard-fighting, hard-drinking, hard-living women. It’s violent and incredibly funny. It’s also going on hiatus for a bit, so this might be the last volume for a while. This volume focuses on Hannah, as our heroes travel to Mage University to find out exactly what became of her dad.

Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman, Vol. 3
This anthology series has been a highlight of DC’s recent output. New creators and fan favorites take turns telling stories of Wonder Woman for all ages and through all eras. Diana is notoriously tricky to pin down, so letting each creator’s individual take come to the fore is a great, and frequently inspiring, way to enjoy her adventures.

Mighty Thor, Vol. 1: Thunder in Her Veins, by Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman
Aaron and Dauterman continue their acclaimed run on Thor with a new chapter in the adventures of the Dr. Jane Foster, Goddess of Thunder. Asgard is falling apart, abetted by the dark elf Malekith. Into the chaos steps (sometimes) lovable trickster Loki, his motives mysterious as always.

Silk, Vol. 1: Sinister, by Robbie Thompson and Stacey Lee
One of two new characters to spin out of the multiverse-spanning Spider-Verse, Cindy Moon was the other teenager to have been bitten by the radioactive spider that gave Peter Parker his potent powers. Locked away for years, she’s free and on her own now, but her quest to find her family has her teaming up with super villain Black Cat and at odds with Spider-Man.

Spider-Gwen, Vol. 1: Greater Power, by Jason Latour and Robbie Rodriguez
On Earth-65, Gwen Stacy didn’t die in Spider-Man’s arms—it was the other way around: Peter Parker died in spite of the efforts of Spider-Woman. Spider-Verse brought the very-much-alive Gwen into the mainstream Marvel U, and this volume finds her on S.H.I.E.LD.’s most wanted list while she fights battles a whole family of Goblins.

Pop Gun War, Vol. 1: Gift, by Farel Dalrymple
A boy named Sinclair inherits a pair of wings from a discontented angel and decides to ditch them in this NewYork-set urban fantasy series. Sinclair has adventures involving giants, dwarves, and all manner of creatures in the first volume of what’s sure to be a surreal favorite.

Plutona, by Jeff Lemire
Jeff Lemire is a creator who moves seamlessly between smaller-scale, personal stories and big superhero epics, and Plutona looks to be a unique hybrid. It’s about an eclectic group of misfits who are brought together and pulled apart by a singular mystery: the discovery of a body in the woods belonging to a famed superhero, the eponymous Plutona.

Star Wars: Kanan, Vol. 2: First Blood, by Greg Weisman and Pepe Larraz
The series may not have burned up the sales charts like Marvel’s other SW books, but Kanan is both a fun companion to the Star Wars: Rebels TV series and a neat look into an undiscovered bit of SW history. This concluding volume picksup with young Caleb during his first adventure as a Padawan under Master Bilabla, while Hera and the crew of the Ghost dodge the Empire in the present.

All-New Wolverine, Vol. 1: The Four Sisters, by Tom Taylor, and David Lopez
Wolverine is dead. Long live Wolverine, yo. Mentored by Logan, the living weapon formerly known as X-23 is determined to live up to the name and legacy that she’s taken on. She faces the mysterious Four Sisters with help from Dr. Strange and the Wasp.

Rebels: A Well-Regulated Militia, by Brian Wood and Andrea Mutti
The politics of war and the deep bonds and tremendous animosities between revolutionaries and loyalists during the early years of the American Revolution are the subject of the latest from Wood (Northlanders) and Mutti (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). Sounds pretty great, especially if you like historical fiction.

Something New: Tales from a Makeshift Bride, by Lucy Knisley
Lucy Knisley, whose other works deal heavily in food, family, and travel, is back with a new memoir telling the very personal story of her own perfect DIY wedding. It promises to be a quirky story about love and floral arrangements, with a few tips and tricks along the way.

Batman ’66, Vol. 5, by Jeff Parker
DC’s fun anthology series has been telling new stories set in the era of the Adam West/Burt Ward TV show for a while now, and the whole affair has been a biff-pow blast. The book ends its regular run with this volume (though it will continue in the form of specials) with classic bad guys on hand, along with a few who never made it onto the show back in the day. The concluding story is the real highlight: an over-the-top exploration of the show’s legendary title sequence.

What’s on your pull list?