Age of Bronze 1-3
Age of Bronze is the story of the Trojan War told in extraordinarily rich detail. The series is on the third volume, and has only gotten to the point of abandoning Philoctetes. The first book dealt with the abduction of Helen, and the second with the sacrifice of Iphigenia. The gods are not as present as they are in the Iliad, and the reason for the war is given as control of the Black Sea. This gives the story a more realistic feel. The characters are well defined, and uniquely illustrated. The author has pooled a massive amount of research, both visual and written, in order to bring to life the whole story, from the abduction of Helen, onward. The author has drawn on the Iliad, the Epic Cycle, other mythologies, secondary sources, talking with Trojan archaeologists, museum collections, and a visit to the site of Troy itself. These books are an invaluable addition to any school with Classics in its curriculum.
Black and white. Ongoing series. Written and illustrated by Eric Shanower.

Asterix 1-24
Asterix Omnibus 1-2
The year is 50 BC. Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well, not entirely... one small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders. The village is home of Asterix, Obelix, and many other unforgettable characters. The secret is in the magic potion, made by the druid Getafix. The books each comprise a stand-alone adventure in which Asterix and Obelix generally fight the Romans, and meet other races. There is a range of humour, allowing the books to appeal to a wide audience. Also, the books serve as a good introduction to the Romans, as well as other ancient civilizations, as they are quite historically accurate.
Translated from French. Written by Rene Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo.

Astonishing X-Men 1-4
Astonishing X-Men is a fresh new X-Men book that has a place alongside the movies. Readers familiar with the movies will recognize the characters of Wolverine, Cyclops, Beast, and Kitty Pryde, and will be intrigued by the addition of telepath Emma Frost. While some aspects of the book do point back to earlier events in X-Men continuity, it is not necessary to read earlier comics to understand the action. The events begin when Cyclops and Emma Frost re-form the X-Men with the express purpose of "astonishing" the world. However, plans go slightly awry when a 'cure' for the mutant gene is announced. With inventive stories and beautiful art, this is an extremely successful series with new and old X-Men fans.
Ongoing series. Written by Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and illustrated by John Cassaday.

Batman Arkham Asylum 15th Anniversary Edition
Arkham Asylum is an extraordinary work of art, and the best-selling original graphic novel in the comics industry. The plot is dual-layered. One layer deals with Batman, who is forced to go into Arkham Asylum, the insane asylum for his most deadly villains, including Joker, Two-Face, the Mad Hatter, and others, after they seize control of the asylum and demand Batman in exchange for the hostages. Once inside the asylum, Batman is faced with his own sanity, and questioning whether he himself belongs in the asylum himself. The second layer takes place in the past, and deals with Jeremiah Arkham, the founder of the asylum, detailing his reasons for its founding, discussing the nature and point of psychiatry, and showing his own slide into insanity. The art style is extremely unique, mixing painting with mixed media. The text is written in different fonts for different characters, for example, the Joker's dialogue is red and messy. Various themes work their way through the book, such as Alice in Wonderland, and pearls. This edition includes the script given by the writer to the artist to work from. This is a unique opportunity to examine the development of a graphic novel, and see how the artist can interpret the writer.
Written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Dave McKean.

Batman Dark Knight Returns
This graphic novel stands next to Watchmen as responsible for the deconstruction of comics and superheroes that occurred in 1986-1987. In a post-apocalyptic dark future, superheroes are nowhere to be found, and criminals run wild. Batman has been retired for ten years, ever since the death of the second Robin, Jason Todd. Now a supposedly rehabilitated Harvey Dent (Two-Face) returns to crime, and Batman feels compelled to don his old costume and stop him. 13-year-old Carrie Kelley, rescued by Batman, buys a Robin costume, and becomes Batman's crime-fighting partner, bringing lightness to his grim-and-gritty outlook. Ten years has changed Batman, who now realizes the only way to stop some criminals is to kill them, and nearly does kill the Joker. He and Carrie also train an army of crime-fighters, the Sons of Batman, to help Gotham become the safest city in America. Somewhat embarrassed by a vigilante's success where they had failed, the government sends Superman to stop him. The story culminates in a fight between Batman and Superman and the apparent death of both. A tale of overcoming adversity, and of Machiavellian principles, this is a dark view of the pros and cons of superheroes.
Written and illustrated by Frank Miller.

Batman Killing Joke
This 20th Anniversary Edition re-introduces this groundbreaking and long out-of-print graphic novel to a new generation of readers. This dark tale depicts the ultimate struggle in Batman's career: is there ever a condition in which he should kill a villain? The Joker is on the loose, and his first stop is the house of Jim Gordon, Gotham police commissioner. There, without thought, he shoots Jim's daughter Barbara, otherwise known as Batgirl, in the spine. The Joker kidnaps Jim, and subjects him to a series of sensory experiences designed to drive him insane. The story delves into ideas of sanity, morality, and justice. Features new colouring and the story "An Innocent Guy," previously featured in "Batman: Black and White".
Written by Alan Moore, and illustrated by Brian Bolland.

Batman Year One
Batman Year One was one of the graphic novels that came out in the 1986-87 comic "revolution" in which heroes were deconstructed, and given the feelings and flaws of ordinary people. This book details the events of Batman's first year on the job, clearly explaining how he came to be the way he is, focusing on questions of morality and vigilantism. Paralleling Batman's first year, is Jim Gordon's first year in the Gotham City Police Department. Also present is Selina Kyle, who is inspired by seeing Batman into becoming Catwoman, and Harvey Dent, before the accident which made him Two-Face. Due to the "year one" nature of the story, readers do not have to know the background of the character. Included in this edition are sample pages of the script and rough layouts to show the reader some of the process involved in creating comics.
Written by Frank Miller, and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli.

Black Metal
Shawn and Sam are twin brothers who are completely dedicated to heavy metal. They also harbour a dark secret: they have discovered their true heritage by playing a Frost Axe album backward. Now, empowered by the mystic sword Atoll, they fight hordes of demons, Norse gods, and even Satan himself in an attempt to fulfill the prophecy of the Hell Baron. This is a hilarious and devoted send-up to heavy metal.
Black and white. Ongoing series. Written by Rick Spears, and illustrated by Chuck BB.

Bleach 1-22
Bleach is the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a young man who can see ghosts. One night a young woman crashes through his room with a huge ghost monster, called a Hollow, on her heels. She is Rukia, a Soul Reaper, a spirit charged with the task of sending the destructive twisted Hollows on to their next lives. Rukia and Ichigo form a strange bond when Ichigo inadvertently steals Rukia's Reaper powers and must become a Soul Reaper himself, lest his family and friends be killed by roaming Hollows. The combination of action and occult mythology makes Bleach a highly entertaining series. Its readers are very loyal due to its soap-opera style storytelling, in which each volume leaves the reader on a cliff-hanger. This series also has a successful animated series which follows the manga very closely, although lacking creator Tite Kubo's subtle touch.
Ongoing series. Manga, black and white. Written and illustrated by Tite Kubo.

Blue Monday 1, 2, 4
Blue Monday is a manga-style tale about a group of teenagers who are determined to hold onto their sense of individuality. This is shown clearly as, in volume one, Bleu L. Finnegan, the main character, is desperate to get tickets to the Adam Ant concert, and to do so, she has to get through all sorts of trials and tribulations, including prank-playing boys, and a sexist radio DJ. A humorous tale, which focuses on relationships, and being an individual.
Black and white. Written and illustrated by Chynna Clugston.

Bone
      One Volume
      Scholastic Vol.1-7
The story follows three brothers, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone, as they are outcast from their home in Boneville and must find a new place to live. They inadvertently stumble across The Valley, a mysterious place where giant rats roam, and dragons are the main religious icons. Fone Bone finds a young woman in the forest, named Thorn, who takes him to live with her and her Grandmother Ben on their small farm. Little do any of them know that the Bones have entered The Valley right before the rats begin a war for total control. The only one who can save the valley is the heir to the Harvestar throne, the unknowing Thorn. Our group of heroes must overcome many conflicts before reaching their goal of saving The Valley. Through all of them, the Bones and Thorn learn lessons about themselves as individuals, and become greater than they imagined they could be. This fantasy epic has won wide international recognition and acclaim. It is available as one black and white tome, but is currently being reprinted in smaller volumes, and in colour, by Scholastic.
Written and illustrated by Jeff Smith.

BPRD 1-8
A spin-off of the highly popular "Hellboy" series, BPRD deals with the same noir supernatural storylines. The Bureau of Paranormal Research and Development is a secret department that investigates and fights paranormal threats. While "Hellboy" focuses on its title character, BPRD delves into the lives of the supporting cast: Liz Sherman, a pyrokinetic; Abe Sapien, an intellectual mer-man; Lobster Johnson, a 1940s-style superhero with lobster claws. The stories are intelligent, witty, and action-packed.
Ongoing series. Written and illustrated by various.

Breaking Up
Sixteen-year old Chloe is a student at Georgia O'Keeffe School for the Arts. She has three best friends, Erika, Isabel, and MacKenzie. However, although they've been best of friends for years, this year is different, as MacKenzie begins to trade popularity for friendship, Erika deals with her boyfriend pressuring her for sex, and Isabel finds it harder to communicate with the others, Chloe finds herself drawn to Adam, an unpopular boy in her art class. Chloe finds herself unable to tell her friends about Adam, worried they will judge her because she's dating an unpopular boy. Friendships fall apart and come back together in a heart-warming tale that will surely echo the feelings many teenage girls have about how to maintain a delicate balance of friends, boyfriends, and popularity.
Black and white. Written by Aimee Freidman, and illustrated by Christine Norrie.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
      Omnibus 1-4
      Vol.1-2
This series is based on the cult-classic TV series of the same name. Buffy was an ordinary teenager until she learned that she was the next in a line of vampire slayers. Now, with the help of a secret society, and her high school friends, she fights vampires, demons, and other things that go bump in the night. The Omnibus editions collect the original comic series which was published by Dark Horse concurrently and immediately after the airing of the series. Volume one is a brand new storyline, written by series creator Joss Whedon, additionally titled "Season 8", as if a continuation of the seven TV seasons. The series features all the characters from the TV show in the same sort of action-packed, humorous plots that made the show so popular.
Ongoing series. Written and illustrated by various.

Carnet de Voyage
This volume, as is explained inside, was never meant to be published. It is a visual journal kept by Craig Thompson while he travelled for three months through France, Barcelona, the Alps, and Morocco. Through drawings and deeply personal insights, he documents his adventures in an honestly intimate fashion. This is an interesting book to study for its variations of illustration style, its place in the genre of travel-writing, and the autobiographical element. The layouts are atypical of traditional sequential storytelling, making this book a good juxtaposition against other more traditional graphic novels.
Black and white. Written and illustrated by Craig Thompson.

Castle Waiting
Castle Waiting is an inventive amalgamation of timeless fairy tale tropes, centred around the character of Jain and the strange place known as Castle Waiting. The story begins when pregnant Jain leaves a less-than-desirable home to find the legendary sanctuary of Castle Waiting. When she finally finds this well-hidden castle, she meets an unlikely cast of characters, including the stork steward, Rackham, the horse warrior Chess, the bearded nuns, well-meaning Simon, the gruff woodsman, and an infestation of poltersprites. This is a strongly feminist tale about acceptance, strength, and proving one's own capacity for growth and achievement. It will appeal to a variety of age groups, as a simple fairy tale full of quirky characters, and as a witty metaphor for everyday life.
Black and white. Written and illustrated by Linda Medley.

Clubbing
Charlotte "Lottie" Brook has been caught trying to get into a chic London nightclub with a fake ID, and is now forced to spend the summer with her grandparents in the country. However, all is not lost for this hipster, as although she has a hard time adjusting to a life without platform heels and iPods, and finds it difficult to relate to the local teens, she does find herself embroiled in a murder mystery that results in a more exciting summer than she could have imagined.
Manga-sized. Black and white. Written by Andi Watson, and illustrated by Josh Howard.

Conan 0-5
This is a new series centred around the popular barbarian character, Conan, the supreme member of the Cimmerian race. Conan travels through a world based on swords and sorcery, generally getting himself in and out of trouble using his superb cunning, agility, daring, and strength. These stories are based on the original stories of Robert E. Howard. Although there are graphic scenes of violence, and some nudity in a sexual context, this is still highly recommended for reluctant male readers, who will be swept up by the high level of action-adventure.
Ongoing series. Written by Kurt Busiek and illustrated by Cary Nord.

Confessions of a Blabbermouth
Tasha is an avid blogger. Her newest reason to blog? Her mom's new novelist boyfriend and his daughter who seems to be the complete opposite to Tasha. At first Tasha is unwilling to give this new girl a chance, but soon realizes she needs her help, and the blog that she once used as a social weapon, she now uses as a weapon for good. This is a moving and humorous story about personal growth, and understanding how and when to use one's words.
Manga-sized. Black and white. Co-written by Mike Carey and his 15 year old daughter Louise Carey, author of the blog "Diary of a London Schoolgirl". Illustrated by Aaron Alexovich.

Copybook Tales
This is a personal look on growing up, getting one's life together, and realizing you're growing up. The story takes place over the 80s and 90s, and is full of pop culture references from each decade. The story jumps back and forth from present to past, and allows an interesting analysis of how the artist depicts the time changes. The book deals with sexual orientation, discovering one's identity, and stupid ways to behave in youth. There are unresolved plot lines which would allow students room for interpretation, and the idea that not everything resolves itself. The book is comprised of a six issue series, short stories, and some original mini-comics.
Black and white. Written by J. Torres and illustrated by Tim Levins.

Courtney Crumrin 1-3
Courtney liked her life, and then her parents dragged her out to a high-to-do suburb to live with her creepy Great Uncle Aloysius in his spooky old house. And while her parents have slipped easily into their new social status, Courtney now has to deal with snobby classmates and the strange shadowy visitors that often come to visit her uncle. Courtney soon figures out how to deal with the strange and awkward events around her, and becomes a strong heroine.
Black-and-white. Written and illustrated by Ted Naifeh.

Cut My Hair
This is the first novel by Jamie S. Rich, well-known for his ability to detail the nuances and subtleties of real-life emotional drama. Mason is a teenager living in California, spending his nights getting into trouble in punk rock clubs, and his days reading comics. Of course, he quickly develops a love interest which immediately begins to turn his whole life upside-down. This novel is enhanced with illustrations by various artists.
Black and white. Written by Jamie S. Rich, illustrated by Scott Morse, Andi Watson, Judd Winick, Renee French, and Chynna Clugston.

Daredevil:
      Vol.1-13
      Inside and Out 1-2
      Hell to Pay 1-2
Daredevil is the superhero identity of Matt Murdock, a blind attorney, living in Hell's Kitchen. Matt constantly goes through tremendous struggles keeping his dual identity, and dealing with his blindness, despite the heightened senses he gained when he lost his sight. In these volumes, Matt deals with love, ex-girlfriends, having his secret identity exposed, dealing with mob-boss Kingpin, taking over as boss of Hell's Kitchen, and going to jail. The stories deal with fighting for justice against unbelievable odds. With a recent movie, the character will be familiar, and students will be drawn to the action-packed stories.
Ongoing series. Written and illustrated by various.

Dead @ 17
Nara Kilday and Hazy Foss are two friends living normal lives in the small suburb of Darlington Hills. However, they are about to become caught in the middle of the ultimate battle of good and evil. This book, in the vein of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, does have a high level of violence, but the story delves into issues such as friendship, love, betrayal, and what it takes to survive in the face of disaster.
Written and illustrated by Josh Howard.

Death Jr. 1-2
Death Jr. is not your average kid. His dad is Death, and he has a skull for a head. Luckily, he's managed to find a group of friends who are just as strange as he is. Junior and his friends can't seem to help getting themselves into trouble, and then they have to figure out how to get out of it. This is an incredibly humorous and adventurous tale of teamwork and being individuals.
Written by Gary Whitta and illustrated by Ted Naifeh.

Death Note 1-13
Light Yamagi is an ace student on track to Japan's elite university. But, he's bored out of his mind, finding nothing to challenge him, until he discovers a Death Note that was dropped by a Shinigami (death god). Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies. Soon, all his time is spent tying to keep the legendary detective L off his trail, as he uses the Death Note to kill criminals that escape proper judgement, to make the world a better place. Light and L soon begin working together to try and find out who is wielding the Death Note. Each one tries to outsmart the other to catch each other in a lie: Light so he can find out L's true name, in order to kill him, and L so he can prove that Light is the one with the Death Note. Deathnote is a well-crafted story, keeping the reader interested with the constant tug of war between Light and L.
Ongoing series. Manga, black and white. Written by Tsugumi Ohba, and illustrated by Takeshi Obata.

Degrassi The Next Generation 1-4
These are new stories based on the characters of the popular TV show of the same name. Each volume centres on the struggles and issues of two or three characters as they interact with one another, navigating the tricky high school years.
Manga-sized. Written by Canadian J. Torres, and illustrated by various.

Demo
This is a brilliant anthology, delving into themes and ideas that resonate with teenagers. Twelve short stories make up this book, each one tackling teenage anxiety and conflict, and how they deal with that conflict and the world around them. The stories have a strong sense of realism, as the types of conflicts centre around themes of identity, honesty, and a desire for independence. This book would be an excellent addition to any library, and is also recommended for the classroom, as the stories each provoke the reader to ask several questions, about the stories, and themselves.
Written by Brian Wood, and illustrated by Becky Cloonan.

DMZ 1-4
DMZ is a science fiction work, and like all good science fiction, it deals intimately with topics and issues that are prevalent today. The DMZ was created when the US government, blinded by overseas military activity, failed to recognize the development of anti-establishment militias within its own borders. These militias eventually rise up, and fight their way north, until they are stopped at the border of Manhattan. Now, the Free Armies occupy most of the US, while the US army is holed up in New York City's boroughs, with Manhattan as a demilitarized zone between them. Matty Roth is a young photographer who gets a huge break in his career when he's chosen to accompany a veteran reporter into the DMZ. When the reporter gets killed shortly after arriving, Roth has to choose between fighting his way off the island, or writing the most important story of his career. When he chooses the latter, he learns far more than he anticipated, both about the people living on the island, and the truth about the events that created it. This series does contain violence, and quite a bit of profanity, but it presents strong messages about war, freedom of speech, and justice.
Written by Brian Wood and illustrated by Riccardo Burchielli.

Dramacon 1-3
Christie is a shy girl by any definition. She's also a budding manga writer. She attends her first anime convention with her artist and boyfriend, who instantly begins to ignore her in favour of the attentions of female fans, and to hang out with friends. Christie, too new to the anime scene to feel comfortable, finds solace in Matt, who she initially hates, but finds herself ever drawn toward. Matt's dark glasses conceal an eye disfigurement, and a lot of bitterness. As the two grow closer, Christie develops the courage to take her destiny into her own hands, standing up to her boyfriend, and approaching her favourite manga artist. However, her relationship with Matt is not so easy, as although they find a connection in volume one, they both return to the anime con the next year in volume two, Christie with a new artist, and Matt with a new girlfriend. In volume three, it's another anime convention... What will this year bring? This series will appeal to manga fans, and especially those familiar with anime conventions.
Manga, black and white. Ongoing series. Written and illustrated by Svetlana Chmakova.

Essex County 1-2
This is the tale of Lester, an orphaned 10-year-old boy who goes to live on his uncle's farm in Essex County, the creator's home town. Lester spends his days wearing a superhero cape and mask, pretending he's defending earth from space invaders, while he and his uncle struggle to relate to each other. Lester soon meets Jimmy LeBeuf, former hockey star, who now runs the local gas station convenience store. Together, they escape into a world of superhero fantasy and hockey. The second volume, Ghost Stories, tells the story of Jimmy's family, their generational relationship with hockey, and the experiences that have defined their family. The tale is told through the memories of Jimmy's great-uncle Lou LeBeuf, former Toronto Grizzlies captain, as he descends into old age. A touching depiction of life in small-town Ontario, and how wounds can be healed through friendship and imagination.
One final volume forthcoming. Written and illustrated by Canadian Jeff Lemire.

The Everlasting
The second in a series of novels by Jamie S. Rich, loosely connected with "Cut My Hair" through character relationships. Lance Scott is a 25-year-old web designer living in Portland, Oregon with his cat and cool roommate. He spends his time sleeping late, listening to alternative music, and visiting local coffee shops where he trades pop culture references with friends. He wants just one thing, however, to finally meet the girl of his dreams. Then, when he least expects it, there are three girls, who all seem like they might be the one. Now Lance is torn between reminiscing about past failures and wondering about future ones, and especially wondering about a certain blue-haired girl who only complicates things further. A deeply personal look at relationships and the ways they can confound and inspire.
Written by Jamie S. Rich. Note: this is not a graphic novel.

Fables:       Vol. 1-10
      Fables 1001 Nights of Snowfall
Fables is the story of fairytale characters living in the real world. After the Homelands were destroyed by a mysterious figure called the Adversary, several fables escape to the mundane world to live in an area of New York City known to them as Fabletown. The less human looking fables go to upstate New York to the Farm. The story mainly centres around Bigby Wolf (the Big Bad Wolf), the sheriff of Fabletown, and Snow White, divorced from Prince Charming, and deputy-mayor of Fabletown. The love story that develops between these characters is a constant thread behind the various storylines, such as the invasion of wooden soldiers from Gepetto's workshop in "March of the Wooden Soldiers", "Animal Farm" in which Snow must stop a revolution at the Farm, and "Arabian Nights" in which a delegation of Arabian Fables cause a stir in Fabletown. The characters have been deconstructed and modernized at the expert touch of author Bill Willingham, who has clearly drawn upon a vast collection of mythology and folklore to create his tales and characters.
Ongoing series. Written by Bill Willingham, and illustrated by Mark Buckingham with others.

Fantastic Four Unstable Molecules
This is the story of the "real" Fantastic Four, that is, it is the story of four individuals who happen to meet the founders of Marvel Comics. The founders are so inspired by them, that they create a new superhero team based on them, the Fantastic Four. Set in the 50s, complete with a backdrop of Cold War tension and the suburban boom, the story follows Reed Richards, a physicist, Johnny Sturm, a teenager obsessed with cars, Sue Sturm, his sister and fiancee of Reed, and Ben Grimm, a boxing trainer. Not all is happy in these characters' lives, Sue feels stifled by the role of housewife, Ben is mourning lost love, Johnny is having a sexual identity crisis, and Reed suffers betrayal at the hands of Sue. Interspersed in the book is a faux comic book called Vapor Girl, read by Johnny, and further contributing to the realism of the book by contrasting it with fiction.
Written by James Sturm, and illustrated by Guy Davis and R. Sikoryak.

Flight 1-4
This anthology series showcases developing and established talent in cartooning and illustration. Professionals share the pages with non-professionals who have never been in print, in a series of stories centred around the theme of flight. Often this theme is interpreted literally, but at other times, it is taken as a starting point to delve into themes of love and journey. The art in these books covers many styles, but is always exquisite, and the creators often demonstrate storytelling methods which break the traditional mold of the medium. This is an excellent addition to any library where there are students interested in art as a career or a hobby.
Ongoing series. Written and illustrated by various.

From Hell
From Hell is the story of Jack the Ripper. Detailing the events leading up to the famous Whitechapel killings, and the cover-up that followed, this book examines the psychology of this madman. By drawing on a wide variety of primary sources including eyewitness accounts, the author has created an extremely plausible theory about who Jack the Ripper was, and why he did what he did, tying the story closely with the Masonic organization, and the royal family. The evidence is well-researched and examined, and the reader leaves with the feeling that the crime has finally been solved. The artist has also drawn on primary source documents to create a visually accurate 19th century London. The story is one that has intrigued people for more than a century, and will certainly engage high-school students. The subject matter is rather gruesome, so there is violent imagery in the book. However, the richness of the text will draw the most reluctant readers through this story of mystery and court intrigue. This work was also made into a motion picture in 2001, titled "From Hell".
Black and white. Written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Eddie Campbell.

Fruits Basket 1-19
This highly successful series is the story of a teenage girl, named Tohru Honda, whose life gets turned upside down by the death of her mother. The rest of her family will not take her in, and with nowhere left to go she ends up living in a tent in a forested area near her school. Unbeknownst to her, the land is owned by the family of one her classmates, the Sohma clan. Finding her in ailing health and living in a tent, the Sohmas take her in without consulting their current family head, who would surely have disapproved. Tohru quickly finds out why the family is so secretive. They carry a curse. Members of the Sohma clan cannot be embraced by the opposite sex, or else they are transformed into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Although this secret has been closely guarded by the family for generations, the acceptance and grace shown by Tohru when she learns of it makes them question the way their clan has been run for generations. The story is very well-written with a good balance of romance, action and comedy. Conflict after conflict keeps the reader interested, while the loveable Tohru is easy to relate to. Fruits Basket was made into an animated series, but it only follows part of the manga series.
Ongoing series. Manga, black and white. Written and illustrated by Natsuki Takaya.

Fullmetal Alchemist 1-16
While trying to use alchemy to bring their mother back from the dead, the brothers Elric both lost something important. Alphonse, the younger of the two, lost his body, and Edward, his older brother, sacrificed his own arm and leg to transfer Al's soul into an oversized suit of armour. Now both are searching for a way to return themselves to normal. To do so, Edward becomes the youngest member of the alchemy division of the military. This not only increases his abilities but gives them both a means of survival and access to the military's research materials. In a world of magic based on fair trade how would you calculate the cost of your own body? Is it the sum of the elements, or is there more to it than that?
Ongoing series. Manga, black and white. Written and drawn by Hiromu Arakawa this manga series differs from the story used in the animated series.

Fun Home
From the creator of Dykes to Watch Out For, Fun Home is Alison Bechdel's painfully honest memoir. Growing up with a tyrannical father and an uninterested mother is a reality with which many these days can empathize, but in Bechdel's case the dysfunction goes further. First with her father's secret homosexuality, then his accidental death, and later Bechdel's own homosexuality. With a very morose undertone and Bechdel's detailed cartoon style this book is both gripping and disturbing. Unlike other comic book biographies, Fun Home doesn't try to use its graphic format to soften the story. This was the author's life and she wants the reader to see it in the most truthful format she knows. Most of the story is also non-linear, skipping through the author's life depending on which memory she is speaking about, or how different problems in her life were linked together by repeated occurrences.

Good as Lily
On her 18th birthday, Grace Kwon has a strange mishap that results in encountering herself at three different points in her life - age 6, 29, and 70. While Grace tries to help her friends save a crumbling school play, she also deals with having an almost alarming insight on herself, both past and future.
Manga-sized. Black and white. Written by Eisner award winner Derek Kirk Kim, and illustrated by Jesse Hamm.

Have You Seen the Horizon Lately?
This is the third in a series of novel by Jamie S. Rich, loosely connected with "Cut My Hair", and more closely with "The Everlasting" through a family relationship. This story, somewhat less realistic than "The Everlasting" centres on Percival Mendelssohn, writer of what some consider to be the greatest work of his generation. However, one day he just disappeared, went into hiding, never to be heard from again. Now, Julia Jimenez has found him, and disrupted his perfectly orderly life, and she refuses to go away. Little by little Percival lets her into his life and through their awkward yet tempting conversations, he begins to reveal the grief of lost love, and discover the road to his own salvation.
Written by Jamie S. Rich. Note: this is not a graphic novel.

Hellboy 1-8
Hellboy is the story of a paranormal investigation team, called B.P.R.D. (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense). The team includes title-character Hellboy, who was summoned by Nazis in a spell that went slightly awry, resulting in Hellboy being found by the British instead of the Germans. Hellboy is indeed from hell, and wields the Right Hand of Doom, a extremely powerful and almost indestructible limb. The team also includes fish-man Abraham Sapien, and pyrokinetic Liz Sherman. The team encounters and fights various supernatural threats around the world, including demons, the undead, and resurrected Nazis. The art style is simple and clean, reducing potential horror aspects of the book, and making it an adventure series with a paranormal bent. A successful movie, "Hellboy", came out in 2004.
Ongoing series. Written and illustrated by Mike Mignola.

Hopeless Savages 1-3
Dirk Hopeless and Nikki Savage are a superstar couple from the days of punk rock. Now, they've had a family, Rat, Arsenal, Zero, and Twitch, and raised them to be rebels. Oddly Rat has rebelled against this and pursued a white collar, nine-to-five job. Of course his family tries to rescue him from this. This is a story about family, and about being individuals. It has a strong music bent, which will appeal to many teenagers.
Black and white. Written by Jen Van Meter and illustrated by various.

In the Shadow of No Towers
This oversized hardcover by Art Spiegelman, Pulitzer prize winning creator of "Maus" deals frankly and emotionally with the events of September 11th, 2001. The book is a visual diary detailing Spiegelman's reactions to the event and its aftermath, composed from September 11th, 2001 until August 31st, 2003. He also includes two essays, and ten comic strips from the early 20th century to illustrate his feelings of anxiety, dislocation, and grief, not only over the attacks themselves, but the Bush administration's use of the attacks for political gain.
Hardcover. Oversized. Written and illustrated by Art Spiegelman.

Inu Yasha 1-33
Kagome is an ordinary teenage girl living with her family near the old Higure shrine. However, her life soon becomes something quite other than ordinary when she accidentally travels to feudal Japan and releases the half-demon half-dog Inu Yasha, equally accidentally. Kagome soon discovers she is the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo, and the rightful owner of the Jewel of the Four Souls, which she unfortunately shatters into a thousand pieces. Now she had teamed up with Inu Yasha, a monk named Miroku, a demon hunter named Sango, and a fox-demon named Shippo to collect the fragments of the Jewel before the evil demon Naraku can get his hands on it. The series is very humorous, and highly action-packed. It does deviate from the anime series.
Black and white. Manga. Ongoing series. Written and illustrated by manga superstar Rumiko Takahashi.

Invincible 1-8
Mark Grayson seems to be just like any other teenager. However, his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet. As if it wasn't hard enough to keep that secret, Mark starts developing powers of his own, and takes on the superhero persona of Invincible. Now he has to conceal his own superhero identity from his classmates, his friends, even his girlfriend. Things get even more complicated when his father suddenly reveals he is a super-villain, Mark finds himself working for the government, and a girl on his superhero team reveals feelings for him. This is a refreshing addition to the superhero genre, with real characters, with problems, that although fantastical, seem real nonetheless.
Ongoing series. Written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by various.

It's a Bird
This autobiographical graphic novel has the author talking about being a comic writer, given the writing project of a lifetime, the chance to write Superman. However, he struggles to get past the illogical facets of Superman. The story is about learning to accept flaws within and with-out oneself. Other themes include high school and later ostracism, fear of hospitals and doctors, communication failure, and family conflict. The author talks about how hard it is for him to open up, making the book an exposure of his deepest fears. As a subplot, there is the death of his grandmother from Huntington's, which becomes the family secret, and source of family conflict. The author worries he will inherit this disease, and is comforted by meeting a college friend and playwright, who also has Huntington's in his family. The story ends with hope and a restoration of faith. The art covers a variety of visual techniques and style, with a series of off-style interjections of one to two pages on the themes of Superman, such as being an outsider, kryptonite, power, the costume, Nietzsche, justice, and courage.
Written by Steven T. Seagle, and illustrated by Teddy Kristiansen.

JLA 1-19
JLA is a superhero team comprised of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and others. They vow to protect the planet, and often come face to face with world-wide crises, while trying to deal with getting along as a team. Set in the DC Universe, the stories deal with fighting enemies, alien invasions, and injustice to create a better world.
Ongoing series. Written and illustrated by various.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 1
This beautifully illustrated book takes place in a somewhat fictional London in 1898. As the century draws to a close, the world faces a time of great change, a time for heroes. Campion Bond, under the instructions of the mysterious "M" calls upon six heroes: Allan Quartermain, Captain Nemo, Hawley Griffin, Dr. Henry Jekyll, Mr. Edward Hyde, and Mina Murray. These heroes form the League, to face the Doctor and his plans for world domination. A prose novelette about Allan Quartermain follows the graphic portion of this book. The value of this book for English class is undeniable, as the characters are all drawn from classic British novels, serving as a good point of character comparison, or as an introduction to studying one of those novels. Additionally, this volume was adapted into a film version, rather poorly, in 2003. It would be worthwhile to compare this volume to the film version. As the two are so different, it raises interesting questions about the motives of Hollywood executives, and the choices made by filmmakers. Please note, due to adult content in volume two, we only recommend volume one for classrooms and libraries.
Written by Alan Moore, and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill.

Lenore 1-3
Fair warning: This book is not one you would expect on this list, but it is immensely popular, especially with the emo and goth crowd. Lenore, a ten-year-old named for the Edgar Allan Poe character is a little dead girl. She loves animals, but somehow can't seem to stop killing them. Her friends include a vampire, an admirer with buttons for eyes, and her Kitty which usually finds herself painfully cuddled. The series is very cute, and full of dark humour.
Black and white. Ongoing series. Written and illustrated by Roman Dirge.

Liberty Meadows 1-4
Liberty Meadows is a comic strip collected into trade paperback form. It centres around an animal rehab facility overseen by a vet named Frank and a voluptuous therapist named Brandy. Frank, of course, is in love with Brandy, but can never summon the courage to tell her. Meanwhile, he has his hands full keeping the residents of Liberty Meadows out of trouble: Ralph, an escaped midget circus bear; Leslie, a hypochondriac frog; Oscar, a wiener dog; Dean, a former frat house mascot pig in need of rehab from cigarettes, alcohol, and bad pickup lines; Truman, an aquaphobic duck. Often the series takes the form of anecdotes, which are contained in a single strip, but just as often, it involves lengthier stories, such as a cow who kidnaps wildlife show celebrities. The antics are wacky, and the characters are rich and entertaining. The romantic plot also keeps the reader wanting more.
Ongoing series. Oversized. Written and illustrated by Frank Cho.

Louis Riel
This is a graphic biography of the 19th century Metis leader Louis Riel, as he struggles to win rights for his people. The biography deals with the controversial elements of Riel's character, including his potential madness, in a relatively unbiased way. The author clearly attempts to lay out all the relevant facts in the matter leaving plenty of room for the reader to draw their own conclusion about the motives of Riel and MacDonald.
Black and white. 267 pages including notes. Written and illustrated by Chester Brown.

Love as a Foreign Language 1-2
A manga-style book about Joel, a Canadian who is teaching English in Korea. The only problem is that he hates Korea. However, his year of teaching is almost over, and he intends to resign immediately and get back to some sense of normalcy. However, just as he's about to do so, he meets Hana, the new secretary at the school, and his dream girl. Now Joel must try to get past their cultural barrier. This is an excellent book for ESL students, as it deals strongly with ideas of culture shock, and how one can come to belong in a country not their own. It will resonate particularly strongly with Korean ESL students, as it does include some Korean text (translated at the back), and includes Korean cultural elements.
Black and white. Written by J. Torres and illustrated by Eric Kim.

Love the Way You Love Side A
Written by Jamie S. Rich, this graphic novel also links into the same world as "The Everlasting" and "Have You Seen the Horizon Lately?" through family relations. This story centres around Tristan Scott, frontman for his band Like A Dog. One night at a gig, he meets the woman of his dreams. The only problem? She is engaged to a powerful record exec who could make or break Like A Dog. Now Tristan must choose between his band and his heart. This romantic comedy has a nice level of complexity, as well as a good dose of the pop-cultural references that regularly accompany Rich's work.
Ongoing series. Black and white. Written by Jamie S. Rich and illustrated by Mark Ellerby.

Maintenance 1-2
Doug and Manny have pretty much the worst job imaginable. They are janitors for TerroMax Inc., a corporation dedicated to evil science. And, when evil science leaves a mess, Doub and Manny have to clean it up. From nanites staging a revolution in the plumbing, to time-travelling cavemen, there is never a dull moment in this episodic-based series. Of course, this would be enough to deal with, without the added complication of Manny's crush on the company receptionist. This series is made hilarious by witty dialogue together with excellent cartooning, which brings slapstick to the comic page.
Ongoing series. Each volume contains three issues. Black and white. Written by Jim Massey and illustrated by Robbi Rodriguez.

Marvels
Marvels is the tale of the beginning of superheroes. It tells the story of an average newspaper reporter, Phil Sheldon, for whom the world changes in 1939, when the Human Torch, Namor, and Captain America are revealed to the world. Sheldon finds himself at the centre of a suddenly changing world, as the superhero is unleashed onto regular society. This realistically painted work tells the story of the origin of the Marvel universe from the inside, from the perspective of an ordinary man who just happened to be there. The book addresses what the ordinary person would think and feel in a world populated by superheroes. The story takes place over several decades, from the 40s to the 70s, showing the changing views that ordinary people would have if superheroes suddenly shared their world. It is an interesting meditation on what it means to be human and superhuman.
Written by Kurt Busiek, and illustrated by Alex Ross.

Maus
Maus is a story on two levels. The first is the tale of Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of World War II, who evaded the Nazis, before finally being forced to spend time in Auschwitz, which he also survived. The second is the tale of Art Spiegelman, Vladek's son, as he attempts to write his father's story in graphic form, while having to deal with the strained relationship he has with him. This extraordinary tale of survival and relationships won the Pulitzer prize. Told in a cartoon style where all the characters are anthropomorphic, Spiegelman used this as a metaphor for the way the Jews felt through the war. All of the Jews are represented as mice, while all of the Nazis are cats. However, this does not detract from the power of the book. Instead it allows readers to learn about the horrors of the holocaust without seeing the graphic photos so often used in textbooks. This keeps readers interested in the story, giving students greater historical empathy for the victims of World War II. This book would be extremely useful in grade 10 history, for the purpose of studying World War II, and also in any English class, for its interesting switch between present and past, autobiography and biography, and its use of animals for people.
Black and white. Written and illustrated by Art Spiegelman.

Mouse Guard 1
Mouse Guard is a story of heroic mice who discover their village and lives are in danger, and must find a way to save the day. The characters are interesting and complex, and their surroundings are beautifully rendered, giving the series an extremely lifelike feel. This series will appeal to fans of Bone, as it has a similar quest aspect, and highly sympathetic characters. Ongoing series.

Nat Turner 1-2
As the title suggests, this is the story of Nat Turner, a slave whose visions and deep spirituality led to him being called The Prophet, and whose sway allowed him to lead a short-lived rebellion in 1831. Unfortunately, the rebellion did little to improve the cause of black slaves, but it still stands as a moment of true bravery, and fighting for ideals. This book is told almost without words, allowing beautiful black-and-white drawings speak for themselves. When words enter the work, they are Nat Turner's own words, transcribed by his lawyer from conversations held before the trial. This poignant and moving work would be a valuable addition to any library, or history curriculum.
Written and illustrated by Kyle Baker.

New Avengers 1-7
This is a superhero book, but a very well-written one. This is a revitalization of the Avengers team, with fresh stories and new team members: Wolverine, Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Luke Cage, and the Sentry. While the team must learn to work together under the watchful eye of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, they must also face a number of world-threatening challenges, including the superhero registration act, and even the threat of one of their own members.
Ongoing series. Written by Brian Michael Bendis, and illustrated by David Finch and Steve McNiven.

New Mutants Classic 1-3
This series, originally published in the 80s, follows the adventures of five teenagers, Cannonball, Sunspot, Moonstar, Karma, Rahne. They are brought together by Professor Xavier, who runs a school for gifted youngsters. There they learn about their powers, and themselves, while simultaneously fighting against the forces of evil and discrimination.
Written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by various.

Annotated Northwest Passage
This historical adventure by Canadian Scott Chantler is set in 1755 in Rupert's Land. Kids will learn about this period of Canadian history while being entertained by the action-packed adventure story which deals with English-French relations over the fur trade, and their relationship with the First Nations. This new edition contains the three original books as well as notes about Chantler's inspiration and research. Hardcover. Black and white.

NYX
Kiden is a typical teenager who gets along with no one in her family, and believes she is completely misunderstood. But all is not so typical for Kiden, as her X-Factor gene suddenly kicks in during school one day, and she becomes responsible for one of her teachers getting shot. Now she's on the run, afraid to own up to what she has done, and what she has become. She joins up with other teens in her same position, including X-23, Wolverine's daughter, and trained assassin. Instead of fighting against world-threatening evils, these mutants must merely fight to survive on the streets of New York City.
Written by Joe Quesada, and illustrated by Josh Middleton.

Palestine
Reading "Palestine" is like reading a series of illustrated interviews, and this is essentially what it is. Creator Joe Sacco visited Palestinian refugee camps, sketchbook in hand, and proceeded to interview Palestinians on topics from women's rights, to the intifada, to their jobs. By not attempting to turn the interviews into a narrative, the result is the feeling that you are right there with him, listening on these conversations. The book does have a pro-Palestinian slant, but does not overlook the Israeli side of the issues. It is a hard, cold, and often depressing look at the heart of the people involved in conflict.
Written and illustrated by Joe Sacco.

Peach Girl 1-18
Peach Girl Sae's Story 1-3
This series follows Momo, a high school girl, who usually gets mistaken for a party girl due to her tanned skin and bleached hair, both of which are highly looked down on in Japan as marks of delinquents. But Momo's tan and hair are due to her being on the swim team, and though she tries to keep her skin light, she just can’t seem to lose her deep gold tone. Not only that, but after missing the first week of school, she was only able to befriend one girl, Sae, who tries to manipulate Momo into making herself look good. On top of all this, is the fact that Momo is in the same school as the boy she loved all through middle school. This results in a great high school romance book filled with realistic teen angst and over-the-top enemies.
Manga, black and white. Written and illustrated by Miwa Ueda. Peach Girl Vol.1 is currently out of print.

Pedro and Me
When Judd Winick was trying to break into the comic industry, he appeared on MTV's The Real World: San Francisco. There, he met and befriended Pedro Zamora, an HIV-positive AIDS educator. Through emotional storytelling, very personal, and sometimes quite funny, Judd Winick pays tribute to his friend Pedro. This book educates about AIDS and HIV in a way that makes it more real and touching than a simple classroom lecture.
Black and white. Written and illustrated by Judd Winick.

Penny Arcade 1-5
Penny Arcade is a very popular web comic, now reprinted and bound in trade paperback format. The focus of the strip are Tycho and Gabe, both absolutely obsessed with video games and computers. It doesn't matter what sort of system it is, they must have it and play it! There's tons of humour in this 'geek' context, but the audience is also entertained by Gabe and Tycho's attempts to interact with the real world.
Black and white. Ongoing series. Written and illustrated by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik.

Complete Persepolis
Now a major motion picture, Persepolis is the story of the author's childhood and coming of age in Tehran, during the Islamic revolution. The author delves into self-examination, and analysis of the world around her, with a sharp sense of humour, mixed with some sadness and anger. This is a touching story about adolescence set against the extremely important backdrop of the Islamic revolution. Readers will learn about the history and culture of a nation they may not be familiar with except from headline news.
Black and white. Written and illustrated by Marjane Satrapi.

Plain Janes
Jane is a fairly typical teenager, trying to find the right way to express herself amidst personal drama. After the big city faces disaster, Jane's family relocates her to the suburbs to be safer. There, Jane finds some like-minded friends, specifically seeking out those who don't belong, and rallies them to form PLAIN - People Loving Art in Neighbourhoods. They act as "art terrorists", trying to shake up the status quo by creating art out of the landscape, for example, putting bubbles in the city fountain, and wrapping objects on the street as Christmas presents. While their efforts to make personal statements work adults into an indignant frenzy, it fuels ideals of individuality and personal expression in the teenagers.
Black and white. Written by Cecil Castellucci, and illustrated by Jim Rugg.

Polly and the Pirates
Polly is caught between the prim-and-proper boarding school set she's grown up with and the legendary legacy of the Pirate Queen of which she never knew she was a part. Suddenly Polly is faced with becoming the Pirate Queen while trying to overcome her insecurities. A great book for girls, containing lots of adventure, with a strong female character.
Black-and-white. Written and illustrated by Ted Naifeh.

Pride of Baghdad
This lushly painted graphic novel tells the story of a group of lions that escape from a zoo in Baghdad when it is bombed. It is, in fact, a true story, as in 2003 this actually happened. The lions try to survive, looking for food, trying to find shelter, and protecting each other, despite the odds. The lions discuss the benefits of zoos versus freedom, which is a good jumping-off point for in-class discussion. What goes on beyond the news, the deadliness of oil, and the lion as a symbol are strong ideas in the book.
Written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Niko Henrichon.

PVP 1-5
PVP is a popular web comic now collected and published in trade paperback form. It follows the adventures of a video game magazine company, and its collection of misfit workers, including a troll who has run away from home. The book is loaded with pop culture jokes on video games, science fiction, and comics. The strips are mostly anecdotes, four-panels culminating in a joke, but occasionally there are longer stories dealing with office romance, or a rival company trying to take over.
Black and white. Ongoing series. Written and illustrated by Scott Kurtz.

Re-Gifters
Jen Dik Seong, better known as "Dixie" to her friends, is a Korean American living in L.A.'s Koreatown. Her favourite thing to do in her free time is practice the martial art hapkido. She's so good at it that she's headed for the championship. But an untimely encounter with surfer-boy Adam leads her unwittingly down the road to love, and she has to fight to retain her focus in the upcoming tournament.
Manga-sized. Black and white. Written by Mike Carey, and illustrated by Sonny Liew and Marc Hempel.

Ring of the Nibelung 1-2
Ring of the Nibelung is an adaptation of Wagner's opera by the same name. Lavishly illustrated, in rich detail, the artist tells this story of obsession, betrayal, vengeance, and redemption. These volumes tell one of the great Norse myths, allowing students to become more familiar with that culture. They also show students that the source of ideas they are familiar with may be much older than they know, as Lord of the Rings surely drew upon the Ring Cycle for inspiration.
Written and illustrated by P.Craig Russell.

Runaways 1-7
Runaways is about a group of teenagers who suddenly, and very accidentally, found out that their parents are actually a team of super-villains called The Pride. With newly-discovered powers, and a dinosaur sidekick, they decide to escape their parents' evil influence, and go on the road, as runaways. Each character is well-developed, with complexities that make working as a team sometimes difficult. Characters deal with their own baggage, the fact that their parents are super-villains, and trying to work together.
Ongoing series. Written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by various.

Same Difference and Other Stories
Derek Kirk Kim's semi-autobiographical debut quickly won him acclaim around the industry. It is a personal examination of the 20-something Korean-American's experience, through a blend of personal drama and rich humour. The story is told through a series of vignettes, and the characters and situations are so realistic, they almost leap from the page. Highly recommended for schools with a Korean population.
Black and white. Written and illustrated by Derek Kirk Kim.

Sandman 1-10
Sandman was one of the most highly acclaimed comic series of the 90s, and remains largely influential in the world of comics and graphic novels. A rich blend of mythology, literature, occult magic, and historical fiction, the story centres around Morpheus, or Dream. Morpheus is one of The Endless: Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire, Despair, Delirium who was once Delight, and Destruction; their names describing the realms over which they rule. The first volume begins with Dream escaping from a prison in which he was placed by a coven of wizards. He must go on a quest to regain his symbols of power and retake his rightful place. Death also plays a strong role in the series, in the form of a young goth girl, who views life in very interesting ways. The book has won several awards, and is the only comic book to ever win a World Fantasy Award. This book will appeal to a wide variety of readers.
Written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by various.

Scandalous
Set in 1950s Hollywood, the story follows Paige Turner, celebrity columnist for America's most-read newspaper. However, she soon finds herself embroiled in a tabloid war, as she fights against Harry Richards to become Hollywood's greatest rumourmonger.
Black and white. Written by Canadian J. Torres, and illustrated by Canadian Scott Chantler.

Scooter Girl
Scooter Girl is a delightful mod romance. Ashton Archer is the coolest boy at school, and for good reason, he's got it all, even a Vespa. At least, that's what he thinks, until he sees Margaret Sheldon on her Lambretta. And then everything promptly falls apart - his family declares bankruptcy, his scooter gets run over, and his popularity suddenly disappears. Even though Margaret seems to be his bad luck charm, he can't stop thinking about her. Contains some profanity.
Written and illustrated by Chynna Clugston.

Scott Pilgrim 1-4
Scott Pilgrim has a problem. He wants to date Ramona Flowers, the girl of his dreams, however, to do so, he must battle her seven evil ex-boyfriends. Of course, it is not even that simple, as he has to deal with his rock band, and Knives Chau, the girl he can't seem to get rid of. Set in Toronto, readers will enjoy the familiar settings as Scott Pilgrim duels with evil ex-boyfriends in locations like the Toronto Reference Library, and Honest Ed's. An extremely fun book, with a quirky sense of humour.
Black and white. Ongoing. Written and illustrated by Bryan Lee O'Malley.

Sidekicks: The Transfer Student
Terry Highland, daughter of an ex-superhero sidekick, has her own powers, and attends the Shuster Academy, a school for superhero sidekicks. However, to do well at the school, the students are not allowed to use their powers. This becomes difficult when three new vigilantes appear.
Black and white. Written by J. Torres and illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa.

Signal to Noise
This beautiful graphic novel describes the last days of a famous film maker who learns he is dying. Before he dies, he wants to make one last film. It's the story of a European village who are convinced that the new millennium, 1000 AD, will bring the end of the world. Unfortunately, he cannot possibly make this movie, except in his mind, with only the comic reader as his audience. This new edition includes three related short stories, a new introduction, and an extra chapter created for the radio drama. The art is a mastery of mixed media, with layers of imagery filling each page. This book would be excellent in a classroom, as it deals with many themes of life and death, and presents it with noteworthy art.
Written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean.

Skeleton Key 1-5
Tamsin is an ordinary teenager: she hates school, doesn't fit into her small town and doesn't get along well with her parents. One Hallowe'en, she buys a costume from a weird bargain store she never noticed before. Donning the outfit, she finds a large skeleton key, which she soon learns is the key to other fantastical dimensions. Upon returning from one such dimension, she discovers she's returned with a fox-demon called Kitsune. Far from being a problem, however, Kitsune soon turns into Tamsin's best friend, and is the only one who can help her against wizards, witches, and even a Chinese Vampire Hockey Team. The series is a bit confusing in its first volume, but it is hard not to completely love these characters, and be swept up by their regular teenage lives, as well as their inter-dimensional adventures.
Black and white. Written and illustrated by Andi Watson.

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane 1-3
Unlike the better part of the super hero comic genre this book is aimed towards girls. Though at first glance it may seem to be about Spider-Man, the main character of the story is actually Mary Jane Watson during her high school years. Unbeknownst to Mary Jane, Spider-Man is really her Algebra tutor Peter Parker who tries many times to get Mary Jane to notice him instead of his alter ego. By the time Mary Jane starts to figure out her true feelings it may be too late as both Peter and Spider-Man can be found with other girls. This is a great high school romantic drama with a little bit of super hero action thrown in. The best part of the action sequences is that they are most often from Mary Jane's perspective instead of Spider-Man's.
Ongoing series. Written by Sean McKeever, and illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa.

Stardust
Tristran Thorn is an inhabitant of the magical town of Wall, who vows to retrieve a fallen star to give to the woman he loves. Now Tristran sets out on a coming of age quest to prove how far he is willing to go for true love. This book was made into a highly successful movie in 2007.
Written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Charles Vess.

Strangers in Paradise 1-6
Strangers in Paradise tells the story of mainly three characters, Katchoo, Francine, and David. In a complex story of love-triangles, the mob, and art, these three characters try to understand themselves and one another. The story hinges on Katchoo's love for her best friend Francine, which Francine does not always deal well with. David is in love with Katchoo, however, David's mob-boss sister Darcy is the reason behind Katchoo's dark past. Other characters enter the story, each rich in their eccentricities. The characters are extremely complex, and thus extremely real, despite the occasional far-fetched plot-lines. The mood of the stories moves through humorous, tragic, violent, and touching. These graphic novels are a good addition to any library or classroom due to their gay-positive stance, the love between Francine and Katchoo being central and pivotal to the tale.
Black and white. Written and illustrated by Terry Moore.

Superman For All Seasons
Superman For All Seasons is the graphic novel upon which the hit TV series "Smallville" was based. The story is of Superman as a young man in his hometown Smallville, coming to terms with his powers, and trying to deal with his relationships, sharing his secret with some, and keeping it from others. As the story progresses, Clark Kent goes to Metropolis and becomes a reporter for the Daily Planet, gradually transforming from country boy to the world's greatest hero, trying to unlock the heroism within his humility.
Written by Jeph Loeb, creative consultant on shows such as "Smallville", "Heroes" and "Lost" and illustrated by Tim Sale, who provides the art pieces used in "Heroes".

Superman Red Son
As the introduction says, this book is "a sharp social commentary on capitalism vs. communism and current American foreign policy." The story is a what-if tale, namely what if Superman landed, not in Smallville USA, but in communist Russia. The story takes place over several decades, through the 90s, allowing the reader to see communism in historical and fictional contexts. Superman becomes president of the USSR, and tries to deal with questions of right and wrong, and whether the end can ever justify the means. Batman also appears in this story, as a dissident, fighting to remove Superman as president, believing his rule to be corrupt. The book is a good jumping-off point for discussions of communism, and Marxism, and Superman as the opposite of Marxist philosophy in which all men are created equal. The what-if universe in which President Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe survive and are dating in 1978, give students examples of how to revision other historical events, which can be a good start for creative writing projects.
Written by Mark Millar and illustrated by Dave Johnson.

Superman Secret Identity
Secret Identity is based in a reality more like our own than the traditional comic book un-reality. There is no one with powers, no aliens, and no super villains, until a young man, named Clark Kent as a joke by his parents, wakes up with the same powers as his comic book namesake. Author Kurt Busiek says in the introduction that he wanted this to be "...a story that takes the concept of the secret identity and uses it as a metaphor for our own inner selves..." and through the character of simple, normal Clark Kent he achieves this. This book is told from the first person perspective of Clark. The biggest villain, his own government, spends most of the book trying to capture him and figure out both how to control him and what exactly made him 'super'. He lives his life, trying to keep his private life separate from his hero persona, keeping it as protected as he can, but struggling with trying to make sense of his powers, identity, and responsibility. This book invites students to explore several social questions around what would happen if there was one person in the world with those powers, and examines the topic of personal safety, from the point of view of either Clark, or the powerless onlooker.
Written by Kurt Busiek and illustrated by Stuart Immonen.

Tellos Colossal Vol.1
Jarek doesn't live an ordinary life. His best friend is a man-tiger named Koj, and he is an inhabitant of the magical world Tellos. Things get even less ordinary, when Jarek becomes the bearer of a magical talisman which identifies him as the one who will be able to save Tellos from the evil Malesur. He is joined and protected by the pirate Serra, and rogues Hawke and Rikk. It is a dangerous mission, and there is hardship along the way, but there are also Djinn and dragons, and several revelations about Hawke's secret and Jarek's forgotten past.
Ongoing series.

Tsubasa 1-16
How far would you go to bring back the memory of the one you loved? In Tsubasa (also known as Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle) this is the reality that a young man named Syaoran must face as the memory of his best friend, and possible love, Sakura, is split into hundreds of feathers and tossed through just as many dimensions. With the help of two others from alternate worlds, this motley crew of adventurers must seek out Sakura's memories and steal them back from those who would use them for evil. This series crosses over with Xxxholic, though it is not mandatory to read both titles to understand the story.
Ongoing series. Manga, black and white. Written and illustrated by CLAMP, a collective of female artists and writers.

Ultimate Fantastic Four 1-9
Ultimate Fantastic Four is one of the three titles in the "Ultimate" line that we offer. These books take familiar characters and teams from the Marvel universe and re-launch them for new readers. Each series starts at the very beginning of the team. Ultimate Fantastic Four, therefore, begins with the accident that turns the team into the Fantastic Four. By volume 2, they still haven't adopted the name "Fantastic Four", and are still trying to figure out their new powers. Fantastic Four is, in general, a science driven series. It is through science that the team is transformed, and it is through science that Reed Richards, leader of the team, views the world and tries to solve problems. The team also includes a strong female figure, a headstrong teenage character, Human Torch, and the temperamental Thing, who struggles to fit into society in his new skin. The variety within the characters will interest a wide audience, and the fact that the series starts off from the beginning means that new readers do not have to wade through decades of continuity to know what is going on. Schools may wish to avoid volume 5, which deals wholly with zombies.
Ongoing series. Written and illustrated by various.

Ultimate Spiderman 1-19
Peter Parker was an ordinary teenager, picked on by bullies, in love with the most popular girl at school, and struggling to find his identity. But then, bitten by a radioactive spider, he takes on an even more challenging identity, as Spider-Man, crime-fighting superhero. This series takes the reader from the beginning of the story, from before Peter Parker became Spider-Man. It focuses heavily on the realities of being Peter, and his struggles to fit in, both as a superhero, and a teenager.
Ongoing series. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by various.

Ultimate X-Men 1-17
Ultimate X-Men is another in the Ultimate series, in which the story of the X-Men starts from the beginning, presuming its readers do not know anything about the characters. The X-Men are a super-team of mutants, regular people, who through a 'mutant gene' have developed super powers. The stories of the X-Men series deal with the fact that these changes make them outsiders, and often persecuted outsiders. Professor X, a mutant with strong psychic ability, has founded a school to train youngsters with the mutant gene, and teach them how to give back to society by fighting injustice and crime. In the meantime, he works as an ambassador to convince the rest of the world that mutants are not evil, and should be accepted into society. This makes the series a good social commentary about prejudice and racism, well-hidden in dynamic plotlines, and fast-paced action.
Ongoing series.Written and illustrated by various.

V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta is a story about ideas being more important than individuals. Set in London, in a fascist state, it is up to one man, codename V, to stand up as an anti-establishment hero and show the people of London when it is time to fight against the government. V rescues a young, misguided girl named Evey Hammond, and teaches her to understand what she would not give up, that one thing she would fight for above all else. Through a journey from feeling insignificant to being empowered, Evey learns her role in choosing her own destiny. This book contains several key teaching points, such as the fascism that parallels Nazism, the way the world is created through images and news reports, the character arcs of Evey and V, and Machiavellian ideas. This book was recently made into a major motion-picture, and as such, is perfect for a media unit, in which students could compare the book to the movie and analyze the changes that were made by Hollywood. The book contains some mild adult content.
Written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd.

Walking Dead 1-7
Walking Dead comes highly recommended, however it does contain very graphic violence. This is not unexpected in a book about zombies. Unlike your standard zombie fare, this book deals with the outbreak of zombies with a true sense of reality and drama. The series starts when Officer Rick Grimes wakes up in the hospital after being shot in the line of duty. The only problem is that the town appears to be empty except for zombies. He finds a car, and runs for his life, wondering if he'll ever see his wife and son again. He soon finds he has some luck after all, as he reunites with them in a refugee camp just outside a large city overrun with zombies. Not only do the refugees have to work to survive against the zombies, but they have their own personal baggage to deal with as well. This is one of the rare horror works that has true character development. However, it does have a strong dose of zombie horror action, so again, be warned that this may not be appropriate for all libraries.
Written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by various.

Watchmen
When Watchmen came out in serialized form in 1986-1987, it completely changed the comic industry. It forced comics to grow up. Here were superheroes acting like ordinary people, exhibiting flaws, having relationships, sometimes not being very heroic at all, facing political, ethical, and personal issues, especially in grappling with the mysterious murder of another superhero. Set in 1985, in an alternative-history United States, with the country edging closer and closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union, the tale clearly captures the fears of the Cold War that were present in 1986-87. The book deconstructs traditional superheroes and traditional comic book style, updating the medium for a new audience, one that had grown up reading comics, and now, as adults, sought a comic that could appeal to adult sensibilities. The comic even contains its own comic, Tales of the Black Freighter, a metafiction pirate tale, the plotline of which juxtaposes and parallels that of Watchmen. The series catchphrase "Who Watches the Watchmen" reflects the story’s examination of themes of authority, and how vigilantes fit in, with their lack of accountability. Watchmen is taught in many university courses, has won many awards, and in 2005, was placed on Time Magazine's list of the 100 Greatest English Language Novels from 1923 to the Present.
Written by Alan Moore, and illustrated by Dave Gibbons.

Wet Moon 1-3
Wet Moon is a fairly plot-less character driven story, surrounding the day-to-day life of Cleo Lovedrop. Cleo and her friends live in Georgia, where they go to school, and hang out, and talk about life, romance, and pop culture. All the characters in the book have deep personal issues, and deal with various levels of insecurity, and self-examination. One character, Fern, has deformed limbs, yet is portrayed as a powerful, sexy character. Sexuality is dealt with as a matter of course in the book, and there is some graphic sexual content in volume 3. The book has a distinctive feel to it, artistically. The girls are drawn with curves, and embody the form of real women more than most books on the market today. They also tend to be tattooed, and pierced, and dressed in the goth/punk style. The overall impression of this book is that you are reading a story about real girls with real girl issues, coming to grips with their identity and the world around them. This is the sort of book that makes girls proud to be individual.
Black and white. Ongoing series. Written and illustrated by Ross Campbell.

X-Men Dark Phoenix
This is the book that inspired the plot of the movie "X-Men 3". Jean Grey, one of the most powerful X-Men, is corrupted by a powerful universal force, called the Phoenix Force. Now, their one time friend, is bent on destroying the universe, and the X-Men are the only ones who can stop her. They must put aside their love for their former friend and partner in a heartbreaking fight for the safety of the world.
Written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by John Byrne and Terry Austin.

X-Men Days of Future Past
The future is a bleak place for mutants. Kitty Pryde travels into the future, where she must team up with Wolverine and the other X-Men, even their arch-nemesis Magneto, to stop the Sentinels from committing genocide against the mutant race.
Written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by John Byrne and Terry Austin.

XXXHolic 1-11
Yuko, a wish granting witch, is at the heart of XXXholic. She runs a business that helps people deal with wishes and occult experiences, but charges the highest price, that which they hold most dear. When a young man named Watanuki Kimihiro finds himself at Yuko's shop as if by magic, he ends up working for her in exchange for her help with his visions of ghosts. Yuko uses this opportunity to make Watanuki's life a living hell, embarrassing him and blackmailing him at every turn. XXXholic has a very unique art style, and will appeal to all lovers of occult fiction. This series crosses over with Tsubasa, but it is not mandatory to read both to understand the story.
Ongoing series. Manga, black and white. Written and illustrated by CLAMP, a collective of female artists and writers.

Y the Last Man 1-10
Y the Last Man is the story of what would happen if one were the last man on earth. Apparently, it's not all it's cracked up to be. In the summer of 2002, a plague of unknown origin destroyed every last sperm, fetus, and fully developed mammal with a Y chromosome, except one man, Yorick Brown, and his pet monkey Ampersand. Society is plunged into chaos as infrastructures collapse and the surviving women everywhere try to cope with the loss of the men, their survivors' guilt, and the knowledge that humanity is doomed to extinction. Yorick is desperate to find his girlfriend, who was in Australia when the plague hit, and his sister Hero, who has joined the ruthless Amazons. He is aided by Agent 355, who tries to protect him from other women, and get him to Dr. Allison Mann, a geneticist, who may be the only person who can figure out why Yorick survived. However, other groups soon learn of Yorick's survival, and try to get him for themselves. This book is a strong commentary on Machiavellian principles, and the morality of cloning. Strong action, a quirky sense of humour, and the mystery of the plague keep readers interested in this impressive story of feminism and apocalypse. This series contains nudity and sexual situations.
Written by Brian K. Vaughan, and illustrated by Pia Guerra with others.

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