We spend a lot of time on prose, so we thought we’d take a little break to look at another awesome medium storytelling: comics. If you’re looking for a few of our beloved favorites, then check out our top picks below! Don’t forget to tell us about your top favorites in the comment section or via social media!
Travis’s Picks
Fair warning: the Star Wars nerd is going to give you a list of Star Wars comics. Here they are, in no particular order:
1. Star Wars Might as well begin with the beginning. Well, not technically; Star Wars comics have been around for decades. This series, begun in 2015, marked the beginning of the “new canon” of Star Wars comic stories following the purchase of the franchise by Disney. The great thing about this on-going series is that it highlights just about all the fans’ favorite characters from the original trilogy, and does in exciting adventures that take place between the movies.
2. Obi-Wan & Anakin One of the common qualms Star Wars fans had with the prequel trilogy was the underdevelopment of the relationship between Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker. This short run does an amazing job depicting the kind of teacher Obi-Wan was, reinforces the kind of student Anakin was, and also beautifully lays the groundwork for the ultimate conflict in their relationship.
3. Lando When I first heard about this series, I was a little disappointed. Lando had never interested me much, and I’d wished they had used that slot to tell a story about someone else. But it was a short run, so I figured I didn’t have much to lose by giving it a shot, and it paid off in a big way. Lando highlights what’s familiar about the character, while revealing some compelling background and depth of character, and plotting his course towards his appearance in The Empire Strikes Back. The colorful cast of characters around him also makes for rich additions to the universe of their own.
4. Han Solo I was only marginally more interested in Han than Lando growing up, but as it happens, I came to appreciate both more with as I accompanied the emerging new canon. This short series expands on some interesting kernels of background left by the novel Bloodline, dealing with Han Solo’s legacy on the interstellar racing circuit. I was surprised by how strongly some of the character moments, both tense and heartfelt, were delivered in comic form.
5. Darth Vader It’s no surprise that one of the most iconic villains in cinema history was granted a series of his own. Kieron Gillen does a marvelous job at writing nuance into a character that didn’t have much in his first film appearance, in a series that makes a fantastic addition to the history of the Star Wars universe.
Whitney’s Picks
I’m hopping into this post to share five favorites, too! If you like girl power kinds of comics, you’ll love my picks:
1. Ms. Marvel This series is the reason why I started reading comics. Kamala Khan is a young Muslim teen in the big city with a big brain and a big heart. She discovers that she suddenly has the ability to stretch her own size to fit under doors or tower over skyscrapers. After fangirling over the opportunity to work alongside various Avengers, she decides that she should use her powers to help others—despite living in a strict, religious household. Do yourself a favor and start reading this series.
2. Wonder Woman (Rebirth series) If you are a huge fan of the recent Wonder Woman movie, then here is a good series to enjoy! This series was referred to me by a hardcore comics fan. Diana’s backstory has been rehashed so many times, but this version is a more modernized version of that story. Just FYI, the art is gorgeous.
3. Lumberjanes The Lumberjanes comics follows five friends who attend Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle C’umpet’s camp for girls. Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley exude much girl power and empowerment as they gather their camp badges while confronting magical creatures and exciting quests. This series is LGBT-friendly.
4. Spider-Gwen What would’ve happened if Gwen Stacy got spider powers instead of Peter Parker? In this Spidey-universe, you get to explore just that. Gwen is a drummer in the band, The Mary J’s while eluding her dad, a cop. He’s certain this Spider Woman was responsible for Peter Parker’s murder. You get to follow Gwen as she tries to balance life’s responsibilities and the emotions tied to being a vigilante.
5. Lady Thor In this comic series, we meet the first female Thor. That’s right, Thor, the son of Odin loses his worthiness to wield the hammer and there is a new goddess around instead. As you can imagine, Odin is furious and sexist, while Thor is obsessed over unmasking this Lady Thor. This series is sort of confusing since her story has its own printed volumes (a collection of 5 issues or so), but her story continues on in other series. It’s still beautifully illustrated and the story is awesome, so I have to recommend it, regardless.
