One of the hardest things about reading comics is knowing where to start. Comics shops carry hundreds of titles and get dozens of issues in every week on new comic-book day. On top of that, many comics have complex mythologies and backstories that make it hard to just pick up any random issue and have a clue what is going on.
That’s why Heroic Girls recommends comics every week that are excellent “jumping on” points for new readers. Without further ado, here are our picks for the week of November 19, 2014.
Fairest In All The Land TPB
Fables was so groundbreaking that it created an entire sub-genre of pale imitations. People love to see fairy tale heroes and villains in modern day settings. But no one does those stories better than original Fables creator Bill Willingham – not Grimm, not Once Upon a Time, and certainly not the quasi pornographic offerings of Xenoscope.
This latest graphic novel pairs writer Winningham with a series of all-star artists as they explore a series of short stories, all told from the point of view of the magic mirror. Like Fables, these are stories written for adults and teens.
Lazarus HC vol. 01
This “prestige” hardcover collects the first two story arcs of the award-winning dystopian science fiction series Lazarus. In a future world dominated by powerful mafia-like “families,” Forever Carlyle is a “lazarus,” a seemingly immortal warrior designed to protect her family at all cost.
In the first story, “Family,” Forever must protect her family from betrayal and an economic calamity that might lead them into war. In the second story, “Lift,” Forever works to uncover a terrorist plot while a rival family resorts to desperate measures to escape poverty.
With a hard-boiled sensibility that includes violence and (non-exploitative) sex, this is definitely a book for teens and adults.
Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #4
Somehow, we have missed talking about the fantastic all-ages Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman. These wonderful comics are self-contained. You don’t need to have read anything else to enjoy them – no matter what the number on the cover says. Each issue tells multiple short stories appropriate for both kids and adults with a mix of all-star creators and fresh voices.
This issue features a team-up with vintage Wonder Woman sidekick Etta Candy, a fight with a thread from the alien world of Thanagar, and a mysterious appearance by Catwoman.
Spider-Woman #1
Marvel’s Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew, has been an Avenger, an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and an Agent of S.W.O.R.D. Now she is the star of her own ongoing comic-book series.
The series is launching in the middle of Marvel’s Spider-verse event, which has megavillain Morlun killing all the spider-themed heroes in the multiverse. Jessica must team up with recently discovered spider-hero Silk to escape Morlun’s clutches, and turn the tables on the deadliest threat she has ever encountered.
The book is launching with a ton of variant covers — including the infamous Milo Manara variant. So get to your shop early and pick out one you like.
Tomb Raider Vol 1: Season of the Witch TPB
Picking up right where last year’s award-winning Tomb Raider video game left off, mega-star writer Gail Simone continues to help reboot and rehabilitate the former cartoonish sexpot Lara Croft into a tough, capable heroine whose two best assets are her smarts and her determination – not her physical endowments.
Lara has a new mystery to tackle as she – and the other survivors of the events told in the video game – are experiencing horrific, unexplainable visions that seem almost supernatural in nature.
This trade paperback collects Tomb Raider #1-#6.
Wonder Woman #36
After three long years, Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang have finished their epic re-imagining of Wonder Woman as a demigod with one foot firmly planted in the world of myth and fable. Now wife and husband creative team Meredith and David Finch are taking the reins and are sending Wonder Woman in a bold new direction. It’s a perfect place to get on board as Diana starts a new chapter of her life.
The first issue starts out with plenty of surprises as we learn the fate of the Amazons, and a villain is revealed with enough power to take out the entire Justice League. Can Wonder Woman overcome this new foe?
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