Graphic Novels
Ultimate invasion
Jonathan Hickman
COMIC Ultimate 2023
Graphic Novels
The Illuminati must gather once again to stop the Maker! One of the last survivors of the original Ultimate Universe, the Maker plans to ensure that Earth's Mightiest Heroes never become heroes at all - and then he can reshape a defenseless universe into exactly what he wants it to be! Timelines and dimensions collide - and at the end of it all, the world outside your window will be forever changed! But how does Miles Morales factor into the Maker's plans?
Buzzing
Samuel Sattin
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Sattin
Graphic Novels, Health
"Isaac is a shy boy with OCD, but one day at school he meets new friends who introduce him to role-playing games, which lead him on a journey of self-discovery and growth"--
I came across this graphic novel on the bookmobile shelf and was interested to see a book with a neurodivergent character navigating life with, at times, overwhelming OCD symptoms. I found the bees buzzing in your ear with intrusive thoughts to be a very good analogy and the way that Isaac interacts in social situations and his family dynamic to be a relatable depiction. It's wonderful for kids to see mirrors in the books they read, especially a graphic novel that will appeal to many! -Mari
Listen, beautiful Márcia
Marcello Quintanilha
GRAPHIC NOVEL Quintanilha
Graphic Novels
"Listen, Beautiful Márcia is a gripping story about a family pushed to the brink. Márcia is a nurse in a hospital near Rio and lives in a favela with her boyfriend, Aluisio, and her daughter, Jaqueline, whom she had very young with another man. Jaqueline, a troubled young adult, makes life difficult for her mother and Aluisio and rebelliously hangs out with members of a neighborhood gang, leading to violent altercations between mother and daughter. The situation degenerates even more when Jaqueline is arrested. Márcia and Aluisio, distraught, realize that Jaqueline is in deeper trouble than they ever thought. Listen, Beautiful Márcia is a fast-paced, flamboyantly colorful new graphic novel by one of the most important Brazilian graphic novelists working today. Marcello Quintanilha's first English-language graphic novel is a tour de force -- a tightly wound drama filled with masterful suspense and a deep love for family and character."--Publisher.
A beautifully illustrated, fast-paced, and brightly-colored graphic novel looking into a working class family in Brazil and their struggles with gang violence. The colors alone make it worth the read! -Annie
The first cat in space and the Soup of Doom
Mac Barnett
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Barnett First
Kids, Graphic Novels
Award-winning creators Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris are back with the second volume in the bestselling The First Cat in Space graphic novel series! Secret tales of woe, hilarious new characters, and dangerous plans of sabotage will keep readers delighted and laughing until the thrilling climax. Perfect for fans of Dog Man and InvestiGators. The Moon Queen has been poisoned—by SOUP. With few she can trust in her own royal court, she and First Cat will have to journey alone to find the antidote. If only LOZ 4000 were still with them . . . But our once-heroic toenail clipping robot is on the run, looking for new purpose in this vast universe. Unbeknownst to our trio, secret forces are working against them. In a world of villainous cowboys, high-speed chases, and falling pianos, can our iconic trio find their way back to one another and save the Moon Queen before it’s too late? And who would want to poison her? Is Captain Babybeard, the adorable baby pirate, in this one?
The ridiculously fun sequel is finally here and I am over the moon! I laughed out loud at the adventure that was just as clever, funny, and artistically impressive as the first volume in the series. This is a great family read aloud for the younger kids, and a great book for the independent reader-through 6th grade. Kids will love it and will be eagerly awaiting the third volume! -Angie
The moth keeper
O'Neill, Kay (Cartoonist), author, illustrator.
jGRAPHIC NOVEL O'Neill
Graphic Novels, Fantasy
Kit is excited to prove her worth as a Moth-Keeper, a protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year, but she quickly finds that life as a Moth-Keeper is not what she imagined it would be.
Fans of the Tea Dragon Society will love this new title from Kay O'Neill! -Casey
Carmilla : the first vampire
Amy Chu
GRAPHIC NOVEL Chu
Diverse Characters, Fantasy, Horror, LGBTQ+, Graphic Novels, Mystery
"Before Dracula, before Nosferatu, there was...CARMILLA. At the height of the Lunar New Year in 1990s New York City, an idealistic social worker turns detective when she discovers young, homeless LGBTQ+ women are being murdered and no one, especially the police, seems to care. A series of clues points her to Carmilla's, a mysterious nightclub in the heart of her neighborhood, Chinatown. There she falls for the next likely target, landing her at the center of a real-life horror story-and face-to-face with illusions about herself, her life, and her hidden past. Inspired by the gothic novel that started a genre and layered with dark Chinese folklore, this queer, feminist murder mystery is a tale of identity, obsession and fateful family secrets"--
A cool reimagining of the 1872 classic "Carmilla" that takes queer vampire murder mystery to a new level by incorporating Chinese folklore in the heart of 1990s New York. Perfect for the dark season! -Annie
Persepolis
Marjane Satrapi
BIOGRAPHY Satrapi, Marjane
Graphic Novels
Another good read for Banned Books Week. Twenty years after its initial publishing, this graphic memoir still holds the same gravitas. The illustrations and humor mixed in tastefully with the distressing and gut-wrenching moments throughout the book are what makes it a real page-turner. The book recounts graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi's experiences growing up in Iran during the overthrow of the Shah's regime, the ascendancy of the Iranian Revolution and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. Today, the book is banned in Iran (previously in Lebanon and challenged in some U.S. school districts). -Annie
Tegan and Sara : junior high
Tegan Quin
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Quin
Music, Graphic Novels, Memoir
"Before Tegan and Sara took the music world by storm, the Quins were just two identical twins trying to find their place in a new home and new school. From first crushes to the perils of puberty, surviving junior high is something the sisters plan to face side by side, just like they've always faced things. But growing up also means growing apart, as Tegan and Sara make different friends and take separate paths to understanding their queerness. For the first time ever, they ask who one sister is without the other"--
Kids, and Millennials in their 30s :), will love this portrayal of junior high, and for me the fact that it was written by one of my favorite bands of my teens and 20s makes it even better! Tillie Walden is such a wonderful comic artist, and the semi-autobiographical story of twins Tegan and Sara as 7th graders in a new school quickly had me invested. The feelings and experiences felt authentic, and as a twin I could relate to a lot their relationship as sisters and best friends in the same class at school. Over the course of a year of pretty typical teenager moments including a lot of self-discovery, the story also loosely depicts their beginnings as a band. A must read for fans of Raina Telgemeier, Shannon Hale, Hope Larson and Jennifer Holm. -Mari
Impossible people : a completely average recovery story
Julia Wertz
362.292092 /Wertz
Graphic Novels, Biographies
"Celebrated cartoonist Julia Wertz chronicles her haphazard attempts at sobriety and the relentlessly challenging, surprisingly funny, and occasionally absurd cycle of addiction and recovery"--
I love graphic memoirs, and Julia Wertz is just too good at drawing her life. Come for an honest graphic memoir about the journey of recovery from a drinking problem, stay for the immature but witty observations on life, beautiful drawings of New York architecture, and the fart jokes. Lots of fart jokes. -Mari
Parachute kids
Betty C. Tang
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Tang
Graphic Novels
After their two-week family tour of Los Angeles, ten-year-old Feng Li Lin and her older brother and sister learn they will remain in California while their parents return to Taiwan, forcing them to navigate a new school, a new language, bullies, racism, and the pressures of running a household.
The "parachute kid" phenomenon dates back to the 1980s. This term refers students who are sent to live and study in the United States,in this case from Taiwan, without their parents, at probably too young an age. I didn't know what the title meant before reading the graphic and TBH I didn't read the synopsis, so it was very shocking in the story when the three sibling protagonists end up living alone in America, and even more surprising to find out there is a generation of kids with this experience. I can't imagine going through what the siblings go through, not to mention how hard it would be living without parents in a country that doesn't speak your primary language. It's illuminating to read about the hardships the protagonists go through and to see just a small window into the adversity kids must face being immigrants in America alone. -Mari
Before reading this, I'd been on a break from reading comic books for roughly a year and a half. It was for no real reason other than there not being anything that caught my interest. Ultimate Invasion definitely caught my interest. Short version--an alternative version of Reed Richards--Mister Fantastic--calling himself "The Maker" escapes from the regular Marvel Universe into a different one and stops a wide variety of superheroes from gaining their powers. He then controls that world--with the help of other super powered folk--until the past and future catch up with him. This volume is wild--incredible world building and art--and it got me very excited for this new Ultimate Universe. -Brian