MARCH 2023

ASTER OF PAN

Merwan

War. Plague. Famine. Death. The metaphorical horsemen had a field day with humanity, driving civilization to ruin before we could even make it to the next century. The post-apocalyptic society of Pan now survives by growing rice and scavenging among the wreckage of their destroyed civilization. But their precarious existence comes under threat when the powerful, technologically advanced Federation of Fortuna forces them into a dangerous choice—submit to Fortuna’s rule or best them in a barbaric, ritualized game known as “Celestial Mechanics”. Pan’s only hope? A hot-headed outcast they’d rejected for being too “un-Pan”: a girl named Aster.

Themes of teamwork, family, belonging, betrayal, and justice play out on battlefield-like arenas created in the middle of the wastelands. ASTER OF PAN can be described as THE HUNGER GAMES meets DODGE BALL as if animated in the style of AKIRA -- fast-paced and pulse-pounding action mixed with moments of character relationship that will have you coming back to the pages over and over again.

The book was an Official Selection of the 2020 Angoulême International Comics Festival (Festival international de la bande dessinée d'Angoulême) in the Young Adult category.

-SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF MAGNETIC PRESS

FEBRUARY 2023

DJELIYA

JUNI BA

Inspired by West African folklore and stories handed over centuries, this unique graphic novel follows the adventures of Mansour Keita, last prince of a dying kingdom, and Awa Kouyaté, his loyal Djeli, or 'royal storyteller' as they journey to meet the great wizard who destroyed their world and then withdrew into his tower, never to be seen again. 

On their journey they'll cross paths with friend and foe, from myth and legend alike, and revisit the traditions, tales, and stories that gave birth to their people and nurture them still. But what dark secret lies at the heart of these stories, and what purpose do their tellers truly serve?

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF TKO STUDIOS

JANUARY 2023

FIRE POWER VOL. 1

ROBERT KIRKMAN // CHRIS SAMNEE

Owen Johnson's journey to China to learn about his birth parents eventually leads him to a mysterious Shaolin Temple.

The students there study to rediscover the Fire Power, the lost art of throwing fireballs. A power they claim will be needed soon to save the world.

Will Owen Johnson be the first person in a thousand years to wield the FIRE POWER?

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF IMAGE COMICS

DECEMBER 2022

sQUIRE

NADIA SHAMMAS // SARA ALFAGEEH

Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It’s the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the subjugated Ornu people, Knighthood is her only path to full citizenship. Ravaged by famine and mounting tensions, Bayt-Sajji finds itself on the brink of war once again, so Aiza can finally enlist in the competitive Squire training program. 

It’s not how she imagined it, though. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the unyielding General Hende, all while hiding her Ornu background. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the “greater good” that Bayt-Sajji’s military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined.

In this breathtaking and timely story, Aiza will have to choose, once and for all: loyalty to her heart and heritage, or loyalty to the Empire.

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF QUILL TREE BOOKS

NOVEMBER 2022

PUG DAVIS

REBECCA SUGAR

In this early comic work of Rebecca Sugar, creator of the Emmy nominated Steven Universe, she shows the development of a budding young artist in an entertaining, thoughtful read with a lot of heart. All of the elements that Rebecca has come to be known for.


Pug Davis is a curmudgeonly astronaut in the vein of Buck Rodgers via John Wayne. He also happens to have the head of a Pug. Reluctantly teamed with his sensitive partner, Blouse, he fights aliens in space so we don’t have to fight them here.

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF ALBATROSS FUNNYBOOKS

OCTOBER 2022

THE NICE HOUSE ON THE LAKE VOL. 1

JAMES TYNION IV// ALVARO MARTINEZ BUENO

Everyone who was invited to the house knows Walter—well, they know him a little, anyway. Some met him in childhood; some met him months ago. And Walter’s always been a little…off.

But after the hardest year of their lives, nobody was going to turn down Walter’s invitation to an astonishingly beautiful house in the woods, overlooking an enormous sylvan lake. It’s beautiful, it’s opulent, it’s private—so a week of putting up with Walter’s weird little schemes and nicknames in exchange for the vacation of a lifetime? Why not?

All of them were at that moment in their lives when they could feel themselves pulling away from their other friends; wouldn’t a chance to reconnect be…nice? In The Nice House on the Lake, the overriding anxieties of the 21st century get a terrifying new face—and it might just be the face of the person you once trusted most.

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF DC COMICS

SEPTEMBER 2022

STEP BY BLOODY STEP

SI SPURRIER // MATIAS BERGARA//MATHEUS LOPES

HERE IS A GIRL. She has no memory and no name. Nothing but a GUARDIAN. An armored giant who protects her from predators and pitfalls.

TOGETHER THEY WALK across an extraordinary fantasy world. If they leave the path the air itself comes alive, forcing them onwards. Why? The girl doesn't know, but there's worse than beasts and bandits ahead. CIVILISATION, with its temptations and treacheries, will test their bond beyond its limits.

Breaking new ground with the possibilities of sequential art, this completely wordless visual feast will delight fans of PRINCESS MONONOKE, ISOLA, and the visionary works of Moebius.

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF IMAGE COMICS

AUGUST 2022

NIGHT HUNTERS

DAVE BAKER// ALEXIS ZIRITT

Night Hunters is a pulsing cyberpunk classic that tells the tale of two brothers who have to navigate the futuristic dystopian world of Venezuela, 100 years in the future.

How far would you go for your family? Would you enlist in a corrupt police department and slowly sell your body-parts for cyborg replacements so that your aging father can have a roof over his head? The only answer is pick up your gun and put one foot in front of the other.

This sci-fi epic by indie comics all-stars Alexis Ziritt (Space Riders, Tarantula) and Dave Baker (F*** Off Squad, Star Trek Voyager) combines the political sharpness of Paul Verhoven and the bleak sense of humor of Judge Dredd. If you’re on the search for the next great genre must-read this combination of Robocop and Blade Runner is definitely what you want.

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF FLOATING WORLD COMICS

JULY 2022

THE MANY DEATHS OF LAILA STARR

RAM V // FILIPE ANDRADE

Humanity is on the verge of discovering immortality. As a result, the avatar of Death is cast down to Earth to live a mortal life in Mumbai as twenty-something Laila Starr.

Struggling with her newfound mortality, Laila has found a way to be placed in the time and place where the creator of immortality will be born. Will Laila take her chance to stop mankind from permanently altering the cycle of life, or will death really become a thing of the past?

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF BOOM!COMICS

JUNE 2022

WHAT DID YOU EAT YESTERDAY VOL. 1

FUMI YOSHINAGA

From award-winning author Fumi Yoshinaga comes a casual romance between two middle-aged men and the many meals they share together.
A hard-working middle-aged gay couple in Tokyo come to enjoy the finer moments of life through food. After long days at work, either in the law firm or the hair salon, Shiro and Kenji will always have down time together by the dinner table, where they can discuss their troubles, hash out their feelings and enjoy delicately prepared home cooked meals!

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF VERTICAL COMICS

MAY 2022

SALT MAGIC

HOPE LARSON // REBECCA MOCK

An epic graphic novel about a jealous witch, a withering curse, and one girl’s journey to save her family– no matter the cost.

When Vonceil’s older brother, Elber, comes home to their family’s Oklahoma farm after serving on the front lines of World War I, things aren’t what she expects. His experiences have changed him into a serious and responsible man who doesn’t have time for Vonceil anymore. He even marries the girl he had left behind.

Then a mysterious and captivating woman shows up at the farm and confronts Elber for leaving her in France. When he refuses to leave his wife, she puts a curse on the family well, turning the entire town’s water supply into saltwater. Who is this lady dressed all in white, what has she done to the farm, and what does Vonceil’s old uncle Dell know about her?

To find out, Vonceil will have to strike out on her own and delve deep into the world of witchcraft, confronting dangerous relatives, shapeshifting animals, a capricious Sugar Witch, and the Lady in White herself–the foreboding Salt Witch. The journey will change Vonceil, but along the way she’ll learn a lot about love and what it means to grow up.

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE

APRIL 2022

SIX SIDEKICKS OF TRIGGER KEATON vol. 1

KYLE STARKS // CHRIS SCHWEIZER

The world's most unlikable action star has been found dead, and his previous TV sidekicks are looking to solve the mystery. But how can you catch a murderer when almost everyone hated the victim? Now these sidekicks are going to learn what it means to be the stars of the show…that is, if any of them survive the STUNTMAN WAR!

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF IMAGE COMICS

MARCH 2022

MOMS

YEONG-SHIN MA

Lee Soyeon, Myeong-ok, and Yeonjeong are all mothers in their mid-fifties. And they’ve had it. They can no longer bear the dead weight of their partners or the endless grind of menial jobs where their bosses control everything, down to how much water they can drink. Although Lee Soyeon divorced her husband years ago after his gambling drove their family into bankruptcy, she finds herself in another tired and dishonest decade-long relationship with Jongseok, a slimy waiter at a nightclub. Meanwhile, Myeong-ok is having an illicit affair with a younger man, and Yeonjeong, whose husband suffers from erectile dysfunction, has her eye on an acquaintance from the gym. Bored with conventional romantic dalliances, these women embrace outrageous sexual adventures and mishaps, ending up in nightclubs, motels, and even the occasional back-alley brawl.

With this boisterous and darkly funny manhwa, Yeong-shin Ma defies the norms of the traditional Korean family narrative, offering instead the refreshingly honest and unfiltered story of a group of middle-aged moms who yearn for something more than what the mediocre men in their lives can provide. Despite their less-than-desirable jobs, salaries, husbands, and boyfriends, these women brazenly bulldoze their way through life with the sexual vulnerability and lust typically attributed to twenty-somethings.

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF DRAWN AND QUARTERLY

FEBRUARY 2022

SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN

GENE LUEN YANG//GURIHIRU

The year is 1946. Teenagers Roberta and Tommy Lee just moved with their parents from Chinatown to the center of Metropolis, home to the famous hero, Superman. Tommy makes friends quickly, while Roberta pines for home. Then one night, the family awakens to find their house surrounded by the Klan of the Fiery Kross! Superman leaps into action, but his exposure to a mysterious green rock has left him weak. Can Roberta and Tommy help him smash the Klan?

Inspired by the 1940s Superman radio serial "Clan of the Fiery Cross," New York Times bestselling author Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese, Boxers and Saints, The Terrifics, New Super-Man) and artist Gurihiru (Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Unstoppable Wasp) bring us a personal retelling of two different immigrants finding ways to belong.

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF DC COMICS

JANUARY 2022

CATBOY

BENJI NATE

"Hi, I'm Olive. My cat Henry is my best friend. I saw a shooting star and wished he could hang out with me like a person.
I think I should have been more careful with my wording."

This graphic novel collects the hit ongoing weekly comic series from VICE.com along with all new exclusive and unreleased material.
This contemporary series is cute, fierce, funny and adventurous!

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF SILVER SPROCKET

DECEMBER 2021

NUBIA: REAL ONE

L.L. MCKINNEY // ROBYN SMITH

Can you be a hero…if society doesn’t see you as a person?

Nubia has always been a little bit…different. As a baby she showcased Amazonian strength by pushing over a tree to rescue her neighbor’s cat. But, despite Nubia’s similar abilities, the world has no problem telling her that she’s no Wonder Woman. And even if she was, they wouldn’t want her. Every time she comes to the rescue, she's reminded of how people see her: as a threat. Her moms do their best to keep her safe, but Nubia can’t deny the fire within her, even if she’s a little awkward about it sometimes. Even if it means people assume the worst.

When Nubia’s best friend, Quisha, is threatened by a boy who thinks he owns the town, Nubia will risk it all—her safety, her home, and her crush on that cute kid in English class—to become the hero society tells her she isn’t.

From the witty and powerful voice behind A Blade So Black, L.L. McKinney, and with endearing and expressive art by Robyn Smith, comes a vital story for today about equality, identity, and kicking it with your squad.

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF DC COMICS

NOVEMBER 2021

FAR SECTOR

N.K. JEMISIN // JAMAL CAMPBELL

Acclaimed, award-winning author N.K. Jemisin (The Fifth Season, The City We Became) makes her comic book debut with bestselling artist Jamal Campbell (Naomi) as they thrust you into a stunning sci-fi murder mystery on the other side of the universe! For the past six months, newly chosen Green Lantern Sojourner “Jo” Mullein has been protecting the City Enduring, a massive metropolis of 20 billion people. The city has maintained peace for over 500 years by stripping its citizens of their ability to feel. As a result, violent crime is virtually unheard of, and murder is nonexistent.

But that’s all about to change in this new graphic novel that puts a unique spin on the legacy of the Green Lanterns!

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF DC COMICS

OCTOBER 2021

SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN VOL. 1

JAMES TYNION IV // WERTHER DELL’EDERA

When children begin to go missing in the town of Archer’s Peak, all hope seems lost until a mysterious woman arrives to reveal that terrifying creatures are behind the chaos - and that she alone will destroy them, no matter the cost.

IT’S THE MONSTERS WHO SHOULD BE AFRAID.

When the children of Archer's Peak—a sleepy town in the heart of America—begin to go missing, everything seems hopeless. Most children never return, but the ones that do have terrible stories—impossible details of terrifying creatures that live in the shadows. Their only hope of finding and eliminating the threat is the arrival of a mysterious stranger, one who believes the children and claims to be the only one who sees what they can see.

Her name is Erica Slaughter. She kills monsters. That is all she does, and she bears the cost because it must be done.

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF BOOM!

SEPTEMBER 2021

THE GIRL FROM H.O.P.P.E.R.S.

JAIME HERNANDEZ

The 25th anniversary Love and Rockets celebration continues with this, the second of three volumes collecting the adventures of the spunky Maggie; her annoying, pixie-ish best friend and sometime lover Hopey; and their circle of friends, including their bombshell friend Penny Century, Maggie's weirdo mentor Izzy as well as the aging but still heroic wrestler Rena Titanon and Maggie's handsome love interest, Rand Race.

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF FANTAGRAPHICS

AUGUST 2021

SILVER SURFER BLACK

DONNY CATES // TRADD MOORE

Is this the end of Norrin Radd? In GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, the cosmos' greatest defenders were thrown through a black hole - including the Silver Surfer! But his story doesn't end there! To beat back oblivion and avoid losing himself to the darkness, the Sentinel of the Spaceways must call on all his inner light to save his own soul! With his power cosmic fading and the all-consuming darkness descending, will help come in the form of an unexpected ally? When the Surfer discovers something with the potential power to turn the tide, is he prepared to pay the terrible price for awakening it? And how does the Surfer's predicament tie in to the sinister world of symbiotes? Donny Cates and Tradd Moore take the Surfer on a journey that will change him forever!

- SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF MARVEL COMICS