Top 20 Graphic Novels – July 2014

Alexandria has been destroyed. Can Rick rally the other communities against Negan’s army?

Collects The Walking Dead #121-126.

The second story arc in the New York Times bestselling series. Forever uncovers rebellion brewing in LA, and the Barrets, a family of “Waste,” undertake a 500-mile journey to Denver in the hope that one of their family will be noticed by the Carlyles and “lifted” to Serf status.

Infused with the power of the dread Dormammu, the malevolent Baron Mordo returns to the Marvel Universe to strike fear into the heart of mortals. It’s up to Marvel’s master of the mystic arts – Doctor Strange – to brave Mordo’s onslaught and turn the tides on his evil magics. Travel to a Nameless Land in a Timeless Time with this classic saga, brought to you by comic book legends Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Collects Strange Tales #130-146.

The Twilight of the Mutants is upon us! In this classic collection of X-Men tales, the ‘strangest teens of all’ add two new mutants, Polaris and Havok, to their roster and battle a host of villains new and old alike! From the terrifying Living Monolith to the robotic Sentinels, our uncanny heroes are about to be tested like never before!

Collects X-Men #50-59.

In 1975 the X-Men were reborn! Gathered from all over the world, this second incarnation of Marvel’s mutant heroes would reach unprecedented levels of popularity. Now discover exactly how they gained their incredible reputation with two legendary tales from the X-Men’s history. In ‘Days of Future Past’ the war for co-existence has been lost, and its up to ‘Kate’ Pryde and her desperate band of survivors to rally the X-Men from the past to save the future! Then, in ‘God Loves, Man Kills’ one of the mighty mutants’ most formidable foes, Reverend William Stryker, lashes out at Homo Superior – and not everyone will be walking away!

Collects X-Men #138-142 and Marvel Graphic Novel #5.

After The Joker’s attack on the Bat-family, Nightwing finds himself in a new city with an unlikely ally, The Prankster. Together they are hunted by the mysterious Mask Killer while Dick tries to find the man who killed his parents, Tony Zullo.

Collects Nightwing #19-24.

The nineteenth century, expiring with a flourish of Moriarty and Martians, has left the division of Military Intelligence commanded by Mina Murray in a state of disrepair. While she and her lover Allan Quatermain have achieved a measure of eternal youth, recruiting new talents such as the trans-gendered immortal Orlando, the ghost-finder Thomas Carnacki and the gentleman thief A.J. Raffles to replace their deceased or missing colleagues. Now it is the early years of a new and unfamiliar century, and forces are emerging that appear to promise ruin for the Murray group, the nation and indeed the world, even were it to take a hundred years for this apocalyptic threat to come to its disastrous fruition. From the occult parlours and crime-haunted wharfs of 1910, through the criminal, mystical and psychedelic underworlds of 1969 to the financially and culturally desolated streets of 2009, the disintegrating remnants of Miss Murray and her League must combat not only the hidden hand of their undying adversary, but also the ethical and psychological collapse accompanying this new era. And a lot of things can happen in a Century.

The most amazing artists in the world have come together to celebrate thirty years of Stan Sakai’s marvelous samurai rabbit saga, Usagi Yojimbo. The participating artists bring their own interpretations and their own styles to the subject, making this book a one-of-a-kind treasure.

Produced in association with the Comic Art Professional Society (CAPS). All proceeds from this book will go to Stan and Sharon Sakai.

Black Widow is an Avenger and an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. But on her own time, she searches for atonement for her past as a KGB assassin – in ways those teams just wouldn’t approve of. The Widow goes undercover in Russia – but from its cold streets, the Hand of God reaches out to crush her…and it is as merciless as its name. Outmatched by the brute force of this powerful new villain, Natasha discovers a deadly plot that spans the entire globe. Paris, London, Montenegro – Natasha is in a race against time, with nowhere to turn for answers. Black Widow’s strength and cunning will be put to the test as she follows the trail of blood and destruction to the beginning, but can she locate the entity behind the attacks?

Collecting Black Widow (2014) #1-6 and material from All-New Marvel NOW! Point One #1.

Comic creators from around the world unite to celebrate all things Adventure Time in this collection of incredibly original miniadventures. Starring all of your favorite characters from Finn and Jake to Hot Dog Princess and Peppermint Butler, Sugary Shorts Volume One is a syrupy salute to the Land of Ooo that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Ever what it would be like to have Marceline and Treetrunks partner up? Wonder how Ice King and Susan would fair as a crime-fighting duo? LSP and Lemongrab? Let’s face it… with these kind of teams being lead by none other than Peppermint with the …help of Cinnamon Bun… this is a cooky series you won’t want to miss.

Finn and Jake are missing?! It’s a dark day in Ooo, but fear not, Candy Kingdom-Peppermint Butler and Cinnamon Bun will …protect… you? Desperate times call for desperate measures and Princess Bubblegum has no choice but to turn to the gummiest of gumshoes. Peppermint Butler is on the case, and with Cinnamon Bun’s complete lack of keen deductive skills, they just might have a chance at navigating Ooo’s shadowy underbelly and locating everyone’s favorite heroes…

The worlds of Fables and The Unwritten collide in the epic comic event from The Unwritten #50-54 as a terrible foe has seized the fairytale homelands and our world. In desperation, the witches of Fabletown must summon the greatest mage the worlds have ever seen.

Mulder and Scully continue to chase down leads in the most bizarre and unexplained cases the FBI has ever seen!

Collecting issues #30-41 of the Topps series, Volume 4 features stories such as “Surrounded,” “Crop Duster,” “Skybuster,” “N.D.E.,” “Devil’s Advocate,” and more.

The sell-out critical hit of sex, death and superpowers gets a deluxe hardcover collection! What would you do with superpowers – and six months to live? That’s the dilemma facing three people who’ve contracted the G+ Virus, an infectious agent that gives you incredible powers – before killing you! What will struggling graphic designer Verity, failing indie guitarist Weasel, and roguish media personality Monty do in the time that remains? Fade away – or go out in a blaze of glory? And if they choose to kick back… will there be anything left of the world when they’re through?

From the streets of London to the North Atlantic; from intimate betrayals to the death of thousands, from muses lost and futures thrown away to the fall of society – Death Sentence is the jaw-dropping next step in superpowered storytelling! Funny, fearless and frightening, packed with shocks, dialogue you can’t stop quoting, and the character finds of a generation – don’t miss this unforgettable comics debut!

The Kree Empire intends to conquer the universe using an army of Norse Gods! Now, four heroes united by their past – Captain America, Namor, the original Human Torch and the Winter Soldier – must wage an alien war to save Earth! The Invaders face the Kree’s ultimate hunter, Tanalth the Pursuer, and take the fight straight to the Kree homeworld and the Supreme Intelligence – but can even they stand against the relentless assault of Kree-controlled gods? Plus: How does Aarkus, the original Vision, figure in? And how does the Kree threat relate to a secret Invaders mission from decades ago? Eisner Award winner James Robinson (Starman, Earth 2) unites with Steve Pugh (Generation X, Animal Man) to create a unique, modern-day take on the Invaders!

Collecting All-New Invaders #1-5 and material from All-New Marvel NOW! Point One #1.

In this new collection of issues #16-21 and Batman: The Dark Knight Annual #1, Batman’s detective skills are put to the test as the Mad Hatter begins kidnapping Gotham City citizens for an unknown purpose.

The Kree warrior that found his true home on Earth, Captain Marvel was a staunch defender of his adopted people and one of the greatest Avengers that ever lived. Witness the stunning rebirth of one of Marvel’s most iconic interstellar super-heroes as Marvel stalwarts Roy Thomas and Gil Kane reinvent ‘Mar-Vell’. Trapped in the Negative Zone, Captain Marvel is freed from this desolate plane by teen Avenger Rick Jones. With no choice but to leave his young ally stranded in the void, the hero returns to Earth to save the day! Heroes are born and adversaries return in another slice of classic Marvel storytelling courtesy of an eclectic mix of stand-out Marvel talent.

Collects Captain Marvel Vol.1 #17-23 and Marvel Spotlight On Captain Marvel #1-2.

He played Spike on the show, and now James Marsters writes a poignant but action-packed story of the vampire who chose to have a soul, and now has to deal with his past while being compelled to play the hero.

Get into Spike’s head as only James Marsters can!

An original graphic novel set in Buffy Season 7!

Supergirl’s world has been shattered! Kara searches the stars for a new home, only to encounter one of Superman’s deadliest enemies in his New 52 debut: Cyborg Superman!

Collects Supergirl #21-26, Action Comics #23.1: Cyborg Superman and Superman #25!

It’s the second round of Sex in book form, baby!

Now that the full-blown ten-year superhero orgy is over, life in Saturn City is getting even more complicated. And not only for the newly-“normalized” Simon Cooke; everyone seems to have their own kink to deal with. Just remember: morality may be subjective, but Sex is still great!

Collects Sex #9-14.