How can there be both too many comics and still not nearly enough?
The idea of finding something new to read can seem daunting. If you’re looking to jump into a new book, the staff of ComicsXF can point you in the direction of some of our favorite recent releases and currently ongoing titles.
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- Greg Pak
- Raffaele Ienco
- Marvel
- Pre-Teen
Genre
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Villain Protagonist
Plot
In the shattering climax of The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker rejected his father’s offer to turn to the Dark Side. Now Vader embarks on a bloody mission of rage-filled revenge against everything and everyone who helped to hide and corrupt his only son. But Vader must overcome shocking new challenges from his own dark past, including a hauntingly familiar face that will challenge everything he knows!
Where to jump on
Issue 1 (February 2020). Currently ongoing, monthly.
Why You'll Love It
After his fateful confrontation with his son in the Cloud City, Darth Vader’s greatest obstacle stands before him – his own psyche.
Greg Pak masterfully digs into the mind and soul of Anakin Skywalker during one of the most interesting stretches of his life. If you felt like the Star Wars franchise had lost its magic, Pak has found it again.
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- Jonathan Hickman
- Mike Huddleston
- Image
- Adult
Genre
Sci-Fi. Noir. Avant-garde.
Space Cowboy/Bounty Hunter
Plot
In an undetermined time, in a nameless galaxy, warring factions play a game of cat and mouse with a power that’s the key to, well, everything. Meanwhile, a young gofer, working off a debt to keep her brother alive, delivers a package to an assassin. Yet it’s her, not the package, the assassin takes interest in. Told over a broad expanse of time and space, Decorum is a story of revenge, retribution, and rebirth told at a galactic scale that answers the eternal question “What is the purpose of it all?” as beautifully indirectly as possible.
Where to jump on
Issue 1 (March 2020). 8 Issue series.
Why You'll Love It
From one of the most heralded minds in comics (Jonathan Hickman) and one of the most gifted hands in comic art (Mike Huddleston), Decorum is comic book for lovers of comic books. It’s dense and layered. The story is non-linear. The illustrations and coloring change at a moment’s notice. There are info-graphics and digressions abound. It’s also gorgeous and ambitious. The story is engaging and unique. There is humor, and anger; emotion and thought. And again, some of the most beautifully abstract art I’ve ever seen. Start from the beginning. Take your time. And feel yourself enveloped within a galaxy on the beautiful precipice of annihilation. Enter at your own risk, and be ready to return again and again and again.
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- James Tynion IV
- Martin Simmonds
- Image
- Adult
Genre
Crime, Political, Suspense
Plot
Imagine a world in which if enough people believe in a thing it becomes reality — no matter how bizarre or untethered that thing may be. The government would probably have an interest in shutting down some of the weirdest stuff, right?
Welcome to The Department of Truth, a series where anything is possible — unless Cole Turner and the department’s other agents (like Lee Harvey Oswald — yes, that Lee Harvey Oswald) get there first.
Where to jump on
Issue 1 (September 2020)
Why You'll Love It
Why you’ll love it: It’s the X-Files plus Men in Black with a dash of the unbigoted bits of Info Wars. Turner, a meek and mousey FBI agent, has been recruited into an agency he knows nothing about — but it has its own agenda, and it’s been secretly using him for decades.
In addition to the ongoing story, the series also follows the X-Files approach of using a “monster of the week,” ‘cept here it’s conspiracy theories ranging from the familiar (Kennedy assassination), the obscure (the Catholic Church futzing with the calendar) and the looney (the Denver International Airport).
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- Kieron Gillen
- Esad Ribić
- Marvel
- Teen
Genre
Superhero
Plot
The Eternals have remained constant – unchanging – while centuries of human history have flashed before their eyes. Some change is too great to resist, however. The death of Zuras kicks off a murder mystery where just about everyone is a suspect, though the clues point toward the one Eternal they had hoped to bury forever. Ikaris and Sprite must root out the traitor in their midst, and for once time is not on their side. As the bodies keep piling up, and with no way to resurrect them – the Machine/Earth is broken – the Eternals may just need to change or die for good.
Where to jump on
Issue 1 (January 2021) Currently ongoing, monthly.
Why You'll Love It
This series is the emphatic answer to “why should I care about the Eternals?” In just the first issue, Kieron Gillen lays the groundwork for one of the best runs of this title we’ve ever seen. He’s pulled together all of the most exciting elements of their history and cobbled together an ambitious map forward into uncharted territory. Esad Ribić and Matthew Wilson’s combined artistic prowess deliver page upon page of awe-inspiring set pieces and action so visceral you feel the weight of every punch thrown.
Gillen’s character work is perhaps the most impressive feat. He gives you a reason to care about Ikaris for maybe the first time, and finds new depth for characters like Thena and Sersi. This comic is both completely new-reader-friendly and endlessly satisfying for die-hard fans, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s one of the best looking Marvel books on the shelves.
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- Dan Watters
- Caspar Wijngaard
- Image
- Adult
Genre
Supernatural, Teen Drama
Plot
In the summer of 1994, a haunted house walks across California. Inside is Ami, lead singer of a high school punk band who’s been missing for weeks. How did she get there? What do these ghosts want? And does this mean the band has to break up?
Where to jump on
Vol. 1: Teenage Haunts (May 2021)
Why You'll Love It
Teenagers in 1990s punk bands create gestalt entities with ghosts that function not unlike the Zords from Power Rangers. It’s got “rule of cool” written all over it, but it’s also a meditation on the ways we process trauma and depression, and how they can feel inescapable at times. But also also there’s cool Ghostbusters stuff. And all of it’s awash in Caspar Wijngaard’s cool, vibrant colors.
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- James Tynion IV
- Guillen March
- DC
- Teen
Genre
Suspense, Crime
Plot
After the events of A-Day, when the population of Arkham Asylum was nearly entirely wiped out by a Joker Toxin attack, a mysterious woman contacted retired police commissioner Jim Gordon to hunt down the Joker and kill him.
Now Gordon must decide if he will execute the madman who has tortured him for years. Meanwhile, Joker is being pursued by others who want him dead, and the Joker himself is trying to solve a mystery: who framed him for the A-Day attack?
Where to jump on
Issue 1 (March 2021)
Why You'll Love It
I didn’t think that The Joker would become the highlight of the Batman line when it was first announced. Despite being one of my favorite characters, Joker can be overused, and focusing on him, an unrepentant monster, has created many problematic (and often boring) stories.
But by focusing on Jim Gordon, and the trauma Joker has caused him, the series has a dynamic lead. The series is as much about the horrors the Joker has wrought on others as it is about Joker himself.
It’s a tense thriller of a book, with different factions all plotting against Joker, and with twists that keep the reader on their toes. Add in the best written the Joker himself has been in what feels like a decade, and you get the prestige drama title of the Bat-line, a story reminiscent of Michael Mann’s Manhunter.
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Comixology
- Amazon
- Marjorie Liu
- Sana Takeda
- Image
- Adult
Genre
Dark Fantasy, JRPG
Plot
Teenage orphan Maika Halfwolf claws her way back up from nothing, one-handed and determined to uncover the hidden secrets of her past. Her questions only intensify when the horrific, extradimensional god-being residing within her reveals itself. The two find themselves in the middle of an encroaching war between humans and the magically-infused Arcanics (a race descended from animal deities to which Maika belongs). Every faction on all sides of the conflict wants the power that Maika possesses, but she’s had enough of being anyone’s pawn. First, however, she’ll need to come to terms with the monster(s) inside.
Where to jump on
Volume 5: Warchild (October 2020)
Why You'll Love It
This lush, fantasy opus by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda is Killing Eve blended with Final Fantasy Tactics. Takeda dominates on the aesthetic level page after page with gilded brilliance – this is a consistently gorgeous comic that goes above and beyond with costuming, setting, and action. The story is as rich as the artwork, with a fully realized world of gods, many-tailed cats, lesbian intrigue, and brutal warfare.
As the series marches toward a sixth collected volume, it’s showing no sign of running out of ideas. Liu is excellent at telling smaller arcs that advance the larger plot bit by bit, timing the big payoffs for maximum impact. The lore is dense and the worldbuilding is elaborate, unfolding naturally over time, intuitive in its own way. Lui’s handling of character is equally special – the friendship between Maika and Kippa is so endearing, and where do you even start with Tuya’s whole thing. Monstress is a treasure on every conceivable level.
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- Vita Ayala
- Rod Reis
- Marvel
- Teen
Genre
Superhero, Teen Drama
Plot
The youths of Krakoa need more structure than the island can give them. The, now older, New Mutants can relate. With the threat of death off the table, they’re no longer focused on just surviving. They want the next generation of mutants to thrive as they provide mentorship on this journey of self-actualization. But they aren’t the only ones molding young minds, as The Shadow King has plans of his own.
Where to jump on
Issue #14 (December 2020)
Why You'll Love It
Writer Vita Ayala has one of the strongest voices in comics, with heartfelt and intricately plotted work that will stick with you long after you close the book. The focus on bodily autonomy allows them to ask questions that could have never been asked before the Krakoan era. The cast feels fully formed, even as it is wide reaching, and the book will always leave you with a smile.
The secret weapon though? Rod Reis’ lush, impressionistic artwork steals the show. Pulling from the legacy of Bill Sienkiewicz’s loose and chaotic work, while making it his own through the use of vibrant colors and energetic character acting, Rod makes a statement in every issue.
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- Stan Sakai
- Stan Sakai
- IDW
- Teen
Genre
Adventure, Funny Animals, Samurai
Plot
Miyamoto Usagi, once the loyal retainer of Lord Mifune, became a Ronin, a masterless samurai, after the battle of Adachigahara. He now wanders across feudal Japan on a pilgrimage to find peace and meaning, stopping frequently to lend his swords as a Yojimbo, a bodyguard, in the protection of the downtrodden. While he never stays in one place for too long, Usagi is often joined in his travels by a colorful cast of characters, including fellow Ronin Gen, the thief Kitsune, the intrepid Inspector Ishida, and many more. It’s a stunning tale that pulls from Japanese folk tradition and history, while being one of the most brilliant examples of American cartooning in existence.
Where to jump on
Book 34: Bunraku and Other Stories (2020, IDW)
Why You'll Love It
Stan Sakai is a master of his craft. He has been perfecting his work on Usagi Yojimbo since the character debuted in 1984, telling a long running epic that’s truly for all-ages. The book may be about talking animals, but make no mistake, Sakai takes his characters seriously, giving them an internal life, pathos and relatable motivations.
From perfect one-shots like “The Tea Ceremony” to tour-de-force epics like “Grasscutter”, Usagi Yojimbo has done it all and never dropped in quality for nearly 40 years. In this newest volume, now in color, Sakai continues his brilliance with emotional stories like “Homecoming” that show how well he balances action and pathos. There may be decades of continuity but Sakai keeps things so accessible that any issue could be your first. Usagi Yojimbo isn’t as good as you have always been told, it’s even better.
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Updates
July 2021
The Department of Truth, Home Sick Pilots, The Joker, and New Mutants added. Grendel: Devil’s Odyssey and Marauders removed.
June 2021
Eternals and Monstress added. Far Sector and X-Factor removed.
May 2021
April 2021
Initial list. Star Wars: Darth Vader, Decorum, Far Sector, Grendel: Devil’s Odyssey, Marauders, and X-Factor added.
