Power Girl: Aliens and Apes

Title
Power Girl: Aliens and Apes

Library Link
Power Girl : aliens and apes / Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti, writers ; Amanda Conner ; artist & covers ; Paul Mounts, colorist ; John J. Hill, letterer Gray, Justin.

10 Second Review
Power Girl is visited by a giant head looking for love;
Some hybrid man/animals rob a bank;
Satanna gets a hammer from Sivana.

Despite Superman-level powers, Power Girl has B-level villians.
However, the art is well done and the campy stories are fun.
The stories are short and complete so a good choice for casual/new readers.

Notes
Can anything with Power Girl be all bad? :)

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love

Title
Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love

Library Link
Cinderella. From Fabletown with love / Chris Roberson, writer ; Shawn McManus, artist ; Lee Loughridge, colorist ; Todd Klein, letterer. Roberson, Chris. New York : Vertigo, 2010.

10 Second Review
This book is a spin-off of the excellent series 'Fables' were fairy tale characters are alive and well and living in our modern world. 
While Cinderella may appear to be a simple shoe-store owner, she is actually Fabletown's top spy.
Her mission?  Discover who is smuggling magically items into the mundane world.

This is a fun story but it lacks the complexity of the 'Fables' story-line.
While this may turn off some fans, this makes the book more accessible to new readers.

Notes
An old friend of Cindy's makes a guest appearance.

Learning Curve:
Good for new readers

Treasury of the lost litter box

Title

Treasury of the lost litter box : a Get Fuzzy treasury

Library Link
Treasury of the lost litter box : a Get Fuzzy treasury / by Darby Conley.
Conley, Darby. Kansas City, Mo. : Andrews McMeel Pub., c2010.

10 Second Review
This is a collection the newspaper comic, Get Fuzzy.
Genuinely funny, the strip follows the adventures of pet owner Rob, his loyal dog Satchel and the evil cat Bucky.

It may take new readers a few pages to catch on.

Notes
Includes special appearance by 'Pearls before Swine'.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Ultimate Avengers: Next Generation

Title

Ultimate Avengers: Next Generation

Library Link
Ultimate avengers / [writer, Mark Millar ; penciler, Carlos Pacheco ; inkers, Dexter Vines & Danny Miki with Allen Martinez, Victor Olazaba & Tom Palmer ; colorist, Justin Ponsor ; letterer, VC's Cory Petit
Millar, Mark.

10 Second Review
The Marvel Ultimate series restarts their most popular titles with a more modern perspective. This book picks up after the events of Ultimatum. Nick Fury has been fired and Captain America has gone rogue. Tony Stark's big brother lends a hand as well as a kinder, gentler Hulk.

This is an interesting story that provides a new take on Red Skulls origin.
However, it seems mundane compared with the pre-Ultimatum story-line.

Notes
War Machine plays rough.

Learning Curve
Moderate: Readers new to the series might be confused.

World War Hulk: Incredible Hercules

Title

World War Hulk: Incredible Hercules

Library Link
The incredible Hercules  Pak, Greg.New York : Marvel ; London : Diamond [distributor], c2008.Year: c2008Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
Hulk was captured, shot into space, landed on hostile planet, enslaved, rebelled, then took over hostile planet. Now he's back to Earth looking for revenge against those that shot him into space.
 (same timeline/story as WWH but with different characters/perspective)
Story focuses on those that support Hulk to include Hercules and Amadeus Cho.

Notes
Amadeus Cho is the seventh smartest person in the Marvel universe.

Learning Curve
Low if read after World War Hulk

Reading Order
Read World War Hulk first.

Supernatural - Rising Son

Title
Supernatural - Rising Son

Library Link
Supernatural: rising son / writers, Peter Johnson, Rebecca Dessertine ; artist, Diego Olmos ; colorist, Jonny Rench ; letterer, Wes Abbott Johnston, Peter.

10 Second Review
From the library summary:
"Dean and Sam Winchester were raised as Hunters by their widowed father, seeking vengeance on the supernatural elements that took their mother from them."
Dean and Sam follow Dad as he hunts various supernatural monsters and villians.
Dad tries to call it quits but the demons start hunting him.
 
A good choice for horror/supernatural readers and fans of the TV show.
Lots of gore and demon-killin'!
 
Notes
Never trust good-looking women in a horror story
 
Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers.  OK for those who are unfamiliar with the TV show.

Spider-man Noir - Eyes Without a Face

Title
Spider-man Noir - Eyes Without a Face

Library Link
Spider-man noir : eyes without a face / writers, David Hine with Fabrice Sapolsky ; art, Carmine Di Giandomenico Hine, David.


10 Second Review
Set in the mid-forties, the Spider-man must deal with gangsters, hooligans and a masked crime boss named 'Crime Master.'  A mad doctor tries to impress the Nazi's with his experiments.

The 'noir' books take main-stay Marvel characters, subtract their powers and plug them into a Prohibition Era crime story.  The story is generic but it is fun trying to spot Marvel alter egos. 

Notes
Apparently, it is always night-time in the Marvel 'Noir' world.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers but only fans will catch the superheroes references.

X-men Origins

Title
X-men Origins

Library Link
X-Men origins / [writers, Sean McGeever ... [et al.] ; artists, Mike Mayhew ... [et al.]]. New York : Marvel, 2010.

10 Second Review
As the title suggests, this book collects stories of the X-men before they were X-men.
Included are Sabretooth, Wolverine, Beast, Jean Grey and others. 

Fans will be familiar with most of the stories but there are few minor surprises.
While the art is good, the stories might be best suited for new readers.

Notes
Professor X is kinda...creepy.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

The Heroic Age

Title
The Heroic Age

Library Link
The heroic age / writers Brian Michael Bendis ... [et al.] ; artists, John Romita ... [et al.]


10 Second Review
Evil/crazy Norman Osborn (The Goblin) has been defeated and replaced by Steve Rogers (original Capt. America).  The Superhuman Registration Act has been repealed and it is no longer illegal to be a super hero.
Basically, the Marvel universe is back to normal.  New teams are being formed with some small suprises.
 
While this book is larger then most graphic novels, there is not much in the way of story.
It appears to be single issues of several separate titles combined to form one book.
The good news is that this book can serve as a 'sampler' for readers that may be undecided over which title to follow.  Lots and lots of Marvel heroes are covered.

Notes
"Hulk is the smartest one there is."

Learning Curve
Low: This would be a good starting point for new readers

Astonishing X-men: Torn

Title
Astonishing X-men: Torn

Library Link
Astonishing X-Men. Vol. 3, Torn / writer, Joss Whedon ; artist, John Cassaday Whedon, Joss, 1964-

10 Second Review
Emma messes with Scott's head, Kitty gets lucky and a powerful alien comes to kill X-men.
Meanwhile Beast gets wild while Logan get civilized.
Strange things are going on and Scott struggles to find answers.
 
Good art and story.  A fun read with some unusual elements.
 
Notes
Why does anyone trust Emma?
 
Learning Curve
Low: Some knowledge of the X-men would be helpful

Avengers: The Origin

Title

Avengers: The Origin

Library Link
Avengers. The origin / Joe Casey, writer ; Phil Noto, artist ; Richard Starkings, Comicraft's Albert Deschesne, letterers Casey, Joe.

10 Second Review
This book is a retelling of the first Avenger get together.  Hulk, manipulated by Loki (Thor's evil brother), causes a ruckus and some Hulk supporters send out a call to the Fantastic Four.  The call is intercepted by Iron Man, Ant Man and the Wasp.  They have some much fun, they decide to form a team.
 
With crisp, clean art this book should appeal to fans and new readers. 
The story line is based on the original story so it is aimed at a fairly young audience. 

Notes
Includes a reprint of Avengers #1

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis

Title
The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis

Library Link
The Simpsons Futurama crossover crisis / [Matt Groening] Groening, Matt.

10 Second Review
From Booklist
"How much satire can you pack into a single graphic novel? Well, you’ve got The Simpsons, with its cutting perspective on culture and family life; you’ve got Futurama, which hits pop culture and sci-fi tropes with Groening’s patented scathing wit; and you’ve got cosmic-scale comic-book mega-crossover events that the Big Two (Marvel and DC) churn out nonstop, which this book sends up from start to finish, right down to its hardbound, slipcased format."

Yeah, yeah...but is it funny? 
Not so much. 
While the art is excellent the dialog doesn't seem to transfer very well to the comic medium.
Might appeal to younger teens.

Notes
Includes a separate comic book 'The Amazing Colossal Homer."

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Incorruptible Volume 1

Title

Incorruptible Volume 1

Library Link
Incorruptible. Volume 1 / created & written by Mark Waid ; artist: Jean Diaz ; inks: Belardino Brabo ; colorist: Andrew Dalhouse ; letterer: Ed Dukeshire ; editor, Matt Gagnon ; design, Brian Latimer
Waid, Mark.

10 Second Review
The world's primary superhero goes rouge and it's up to world's most violent supercriminal to save the day.
The Plutonian can fly and emits flesh melting rays from his eyes.
He used to be the good guy but now he has killed millions and threatens to destroy the Earth.
Max Damage would rather he didn't destroy the planet and sets out to stop the Plutonian.

A clever idea but the first volume doesn't cover much ground.
However, it's a quick and fun read.

Notes
"The flip-side to the smash hit 'Irredeemable'..."

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Reading Order
Chronological

Rough Justice

Title

Rough Justice

Library Link
Rough justice : the DC comics sketches of Alex Ross / edited and designed by Chip Kidd ; annotations by Alex Ross Ross, Alex, 1970-

10 Second Review
From the libraries summary:
“Private sketchbooks of the author reveal his pencil and ink drawings of DC Comics characters, nearly all of them appearing in print here for the first time. Includes deleted scenes and altered panels for the epic Kingdom Come saga, proposals for revamping classic properties as Batgirl, Captain Marvel, and an imagined son of Batman named Batboy…”

This book is full of sketches by the comic artist Alex Ross. Lots of unique drawings that will give fans an interesting perspective of the artist. While the written material is likely to only appeal to fans, the art should also appeal to students learning the craft of illustration.

Notes
Ross has been awarded an Eisner

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Kingdom Come

Title

Kingdom Come

Library Link
Kingdom come / Mark Waid, Alex Ross, with Todd Klein Waid, Mark.


10 Second Review
Set in the DC future, a new breed of violent superheroes has taken over the world and a preacher is having visions of the apocalypse. Wonder Woman tries to convince Superman to come out of his self imposed exile and Batman joins forces with Lex Luthor.

This is an excellent, clever story which is perfectly matched with the art of Alex Ross.
Should appeal to all comic fans.

Notes
Who’s the only mortal that can stand up to Superman?

Learning Curve
Low to Moderate: Should be OK for those fairly new to comics

Wolverine: Old Man Logan

Title

Wolverine: Old Man Logan


Library Link
Old Man Logan / writer, Mark Millar ; artist, Steve McNiven Millar, Mark.

10 Second Review
Like Wolverine? Love a good post- apocalyptic tale?
Well, you’re going to like this.

Set in the future of the Marvel universe, the U.S. has been reduced to a wasteland after the bad guys formed an alliance and defeated the heroes. Villains rule the country with an iron fist and even Wolverine has vowed to never fight again.

This is a fun read with lots of shocks and twist.
Wolverine fans will enjoy and it should be accessible to new readers.

Notes
Earns its Parental Warning for violence

Learning Curve
Low: Should be good for those fairly new to comics.

Orange

Title
Orange


Library Link
Orange / Benjamin. . Los Angeles, Calif. ; London : Tokyopop, 2009.

10 Second Review
From the library summary:
"Her name is Orange, she's a young girl in high school, coming of age in the heart of the city. And she has decided she has nothing to live for. Not her shallow friends. Not her parents. Not school. Not even the empty promise of love. Her head filled with morbid fantasies of suicide, Orange finds herself standing at the edge of her rooftop when the drunken, enigmatic young man, Dashu, enters her world, changing it forever"

An angst ridden story sure to appeal to teens.
The main reason to read this is for the exceptional art.
While the interior lacks the details of the cover images, the art remains unique and stunning.

Notes
Author/artist of Remember

Reading Order
n/a

Mighty Avengers Siege

Title
Mighty Avengers Siege

Library Link
Siege. Mighty Avengers / Christos N. Gage ; artist, Khoi Pham Gage, Christos.


10 Second Comics
Hank's team gets outdone by Osborn's team of Avengers.
Later, the gang captures Loki, breaks up and then gets back together.
Hank gains confidence, US Agents acts like a tool and Quicksilver joins the team...briefly.

With only a couple of pages about the Siege, this is a fairly weak book.
There are some great concepts but they are resolved too quickly.
You can skip this book and not miss anything.

Notes
Hercules dies in this story line but the details are omitted.

Reading Order
Chronological

Gear School 2

Title
Gear School 2


Library LinkGear school. Vol. 2 / writer, Adam Gallardo ; artist, Nuria Peris, Sergio Sandoval, Estudio Fenix

Gallardo, Adam.

10 Second Review
This sequel continues the story of students at a futuristic military training school.
A girl is doing well in school and decides to help out less confident classmates.

Well, less confident classmates that she has a crush on.
Her decisions lead to unintended consequences.

Not much story here but the art, a Western/manga hybrid, is excellent.
A good book for those new to comics

Notes
check out http://www.gearschool.net/

Reading Order
Chronological

You Can Draw Star Wars

Title
You Can Draw Star Wars


Library Link
You can draw Star Wars / by Bonnie Burton ; illustrated by Matt Busch and Tom Hodges Burton, Bonnie, 1972-

10 Second Review
This book covers drawing a wide variety of characters from the Star Wars universe.
Includes instructions for pencils, ink and coloring.

This is an excellent, colorful book with lots of examples.

While the pace is probably too much for beginners, it includes some nice extras like using tracing paper and steps for inking your work.

Notes
Includes stencils for comic ‘speech bubbles’

Learning Curve
Moderate