Image via Complex Original
Whether it's a new Golden Age, the Platinum Age, or some as-of-yet undefined time period, the fact remains: It is a fantastic time to be a comic book fan. From the Marvel and DC mainstays, to the ever-expanding world of creator-owned comics, there's something special happening anywhere fans care to look.
But even though graphic novels have never been better, diving in can seem daunting and difficult. For one, you're confronted with thousands of titles often organized in strange and counter-intuitive ways. As comic book writer Kelly Sue DeConnick recently told me, "No bookstore you’ve been to in your entire life shelves books by publishers, but a comic book shop does. Not 'here’s the Westerns, here’s the superhero books, here’s the spy books.' If this is a new thing for you, you’re utterly and completely lost." But while getting into comics—or getting back into them—may seem hard at first, your tenacity will be rewarded.
To get you started, here are 10 recent comics you should be reading right now. In a landscape where there were literally hundreds of great graphic novels were released in the past 12 months alone, this is only a tiny drop in a massive lake—so leave your other suggestions in the comments below.
Nathan Reese is a News Editor at Complex. If you want to talk comics, you can find him on Twitter.
East of West
Publisher: Image
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Genre: Dystopian sci-fi Western
Have you ever wondered what would have happened if the Civil War was put to an end by a supernatural comet, causing America to be split into seven nations all preparing for the imminent apocalypse? Well, if you have (you haven't), then it was probably something like Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta's East of West. The book stars the horsemen Death, who hopes to defeat the other three horsemen of the apocalypse (who themselves have been reincarnated as creepy children—you'll see). Hickman's world is full of changing geopolitical affiliations, dogmatic religious leaders, and doomed romances all vying for power in the face of the world's imminent demise. So yeah, it's a lot of fun. The first two graphic novel collections are out now, so it's easy to jump right in. Buy it now.
Rat Queens
Publisher: Image
Writer: Kurtis J. Wiebe
Artist: Roc Upchurch
Genre: Fantasy adventure with a "hard R" dose of sex, drugs, and violence
The first collected volume of Rat Queens is subtitled "sass and sorcery," which does a pretty great job of summing up Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch's warped vision. The comic tells the story of the Rat Queens adventurer's guild made up of Dee, an ex-cult member who worshiped a Lovecraftian squid god; Betty, a "smidgen" (read: halfling) who brews her own psychedelic drugs; Hannah, a punk-rock elf mage; and Violet, a dwarf warrior who shaves her beard in rebellion. Aside from all the sex, drugs, and shenanigans the Rat Queens get into on the reg, the book is one of the rare instance where strong female character are having more fun than the guys. It's a refreshing reinvention of dusty Dungeons & Dragons fantasy tropes that flips gender stereotypes on their heads. Buy it now.
Black Science
Publisher: Image
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Matteo Scalera
Genre: Pulp sci-fi with a modern twist
The first thing that jumps out from the pages of Black Science is Matteo Scalera's breathtaking artwork. Each panel is so lovingly rendered, so beautifully detailed it looks like something you'd want to hang on your wall (or make into a Facebook banner image, at the very least). The story is a wild ride across dimensions, as a team of scientists becomes lost in space when their trans-dimensional travel device is sabotaged. From dancing frog women to an alternate reality where scientifically-advanced Native Americans wage war against rest of the world, each new universe is more inventive than the last. Buy it now.
Fatale
Publisher: Image
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Phillips
Genre: Noir mystery meets Lovecraftian horror
Fatale starts out as Raymond Chandler-esque noir, then slowly reveals itself to be something far stranger and darker. The story follows Josephine, a.k.a. Jo, from the early 20th century to modern times. (The fact that Jo doesn't age is one of the story's many mysteries.) Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are masters of their craft, with Phillips' artwork second-to-non in comics world. You can buy the first four volumes of Fatale now, while the fifth and final collection is coming soon. Fans of all things creepy, sexy, and weird, take note. Buy it now.
Pretty Deadly
Publisher: Image
Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Artist: Emma Ríos
Genre: Horror, Western, and fantasy like nothing you've ever seen
OK, OK, I know what you're thinking: another surreal Western with quasi-religious themes starring Death and his family? Well, yes, but it couldn't be more different than East of West. With Pretty Deadly, writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist Emma Ríos have created a fever dream of violence, poetry, and raw emotion. Loosely centered around the tale of Deathface Ginny, the daughter of Death himself, the book is less interested in specific plot points and more about immersing the reader in a fantastical world. While it's too early to say for sure (Volume one, The Shrike, was released earlier this year), this book already has the potential to become a contemporary classic. Buy it now.
Battling Boy
Publisher: First Second Books
Writer: Paul Pope
Artist: Paul Pope
Genre: Superhero origin story, reimagined
Paul Pope is known both for his out-of-the-box takes on classic superheroes (Batman: Year One Hundred) and excellent creator-owned work (Heavy Liquid). Battling Boy, though falling firmly in the latter category, is a superhero book through and through. The story follows the titular protagonist, who has been sent to an Earth-like world called Arcopolis by his war-god father to learn the chops of becoming a hero. Though young and inexperienced, Battling Boy must face monsters and learn how to control his powers. It's the sort of origin story that any Marvel or DC fan can jump right into, told through Pope's dynamic art and whip-smart storytelling. Buy it now.
Saga
Publisher: Image
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples
Genre: Space opera love story
What's to say about Saga that hasn't already been covered from every Amazon review to well-deserved Eisner Award win? Certainly not that it's the most fun comic book out right now, bar none. Or that Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples have created an instant classic from the first issue. But for the uninitiated, Saga tells the story of Alana and Marko, members of two warring alien races that choose to abandon the fight and raise a child together. Regardless of your feelings on sci-fi and fantasy, or preconceived notions of what a comic book can (or should) be, Saga will win you over. More than a sci-fi adventure, it's a story about family and parenting that also happens to be hilarious, tragic, frightening, and edge-of-your-seat exciting all at once. Buy it now.
Hawkeye
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: David Aja
Genre: Marvel superhero with regular-guy problems
Matt Fraction (of Sex Criminals fame) and David Aja's Hawkeye answers the age-old question: "What does a superhero do on his days off?" Fraction's Hawkeye (or Hawguy as he's often called) is a genial, if somewhat hapless, dude who happens to be the best archer the world has ever seen. Unfortunately, he just can't seem to stop getting into trouble, even when he's not saving the planet with The Avengers. In many ways he's just like you or me—he lives in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, cares for a one-eyed dog, and has difficulty separating his net-arrows from his bomb-arrows (well, maybe that's not a typical Sunday morning problem for you). Fraction's writing is frequently laugh-out-loud hilarious while Aja's art is like nothing else in superhero comics. If you're looking for a Marvel book to read, grab the first two Hawkeye collections now. Buy it now.
The Wake
Publisher: Vertigo/DC
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Sean Murphy
Genre: Nautical horror thriller
The Wake is helmed by Scott Snyder, whose recent treatments of Batman and Superman have received rave reviews across the board. For his new endeavor, Snyder has created an original horror story unfolding at the bottom of the sea. Set in three different time periods, spanning from the ancient past to the distant future, the story centers on marine biologist Lee Archer who discovers terrifying beings below the waves. Though The Wake hasn't finished its 10-issue-run it's already being hailed as one of the best comics of the year and won the 2014 Eisner award for Best Limited Series. You'll be able to grab the complete graphic novel this fall, but until then you can cop each individual issue at a comics store, or digitally at ComiXology. Pre-order it now.
Prophet
Publisher: Image
Writer: Brandon Graham
Artist: Various
Genre: Sci-fi epic
Prophet is quite simply unlike anything else out there. Guided by artist/writer Brandon Graham, of King City fame, the comic tells the story of John Prophet's battle with the evil Earth Empire and its seemingly endless supply of Prophet clones. Graham took up the property from a old Rob Liefeld comic that had been defunct since the '90s, reinventing the story from the ground up. Though Graham occasionally illustrated the series himself, he more often enlists the help of many of the comic industry's best artists for his epic (and epically violent) space tale. If this description sounds bizarre or nonsensical, that's probably because Prophet is a book you have to experience for yourself to truly understand. But once you're faced with immensity of Graham's world, it's impossible to look away. Buy it now.
