Incredible Hulk by Jason Aaron: The Complete Collection

Finally they’ve split themselves apart. The Hulk and Bruce Banner are now two separate beings able to go their separate ways - at least that’s what they think!  After wanting nothing more than to live without the Hulk,  Bruce Banner’s wish finally comes true, only to realize he needs the monster within him more than he expected. 

Meanwhile The Hulk believes his life will be different now that he is rid of Banner,  but   trouble finds them both descending into a pit of madness and suddenly they find themselves intertwined once again through unforeseen circumstances.

 

Can The Hulk and Bruce Banner keep their separate identities? Or will fighting for their individuality destroy everything around them? Any Marvel or Action comic book reader should be sure to pick this one up.--Claudio Leon

Aaron, Jason. The Incredible Hulk by Jason Aaron: The Complete Collection. New York: Marvel, 2017. Print.

Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid by Metaphrog

This handsome, full-color comic tells Andersen’s original tale with gorgeous illustration.  The lettering is small and the text is minimal while the pictures are stunning.  Students familiar with Disney’s The Little Mermaid will enjoy comparing this telling of the fairy tale with the Disney movie of their childhood.  Of particular interest in comparative discussions will be the theme, the ending, and the sea witch’s perspective on the value of the little mermaid’s voice.  Perfect for book clubs who wish to read a story and discuss it in one sitting.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Metaphrog.  Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid.  Papercutz: New York, 2017. Print.

Artemis: Wild Goddess of the Hunt by George O’Connor

“I am wild, untamed, unattached, unfettered.”  O’Connor does not disappoint when he finally allows us to hear Artemis’ voice, but he takes a while to get there, permitting several other voices to narrate Artemis’ story.  While the transitions do not always go smoothly, it is a small price to pay for the overall effect of O’Connor’s manner of weaving together multiple storylines to present an Artemis with a rare emotional complexity and challenging family situation.  The quality of care and creativity displayed in the storytelling and artwork is surprisingly paralleled in the front- and backmatter, which includes a very helpful family tree, character pages, discussion questions, annotated bibliography, and notes.  The latter two do an admirable job conveying the author’s humorous and playful attitude toward his seriously well-done research and thus conveys the persona of a researcher/writer/artist in a context generally skipped over by casual young readers.  Artemis is a valuable teaching text students will be motivated to read independently.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

O’Connor, George.  Artemis:  Wild Goddess of the Hunt.  New York: First Second, 2017. 

Apollo by George O’Connor

In sixty-six pages of glorious color George O’Connor provides the eighth installment in his beloved Olympians series.  O’Connor uses the Mousai, more popularly known as the Muses, to tell seven tales of Greek god Apollo.  All eight Olympians volumes will be of great interest to fans of mythology, comics, and especially to teachers of young people following common core standards. Notably, this series offers layers of text complexity that are not commonly accessible to students who gravitate toward slimmer books.  O’Connor and his publisher have intelligently included generous backmatter making these books a great selection for educators: an author’s note, text notes, illustrated profiles of mythological characters, questions for discussion, and a bibliography are rounded off with a short list of suggested further reading.  My favorite part of this series, however, is the family tree on the inside of the front cover of each volume, providing a handy reference to the relational and familial connections that function as threads in the complex tapestry of Greek mythology. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Ms. Marvel: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson

Sixteen year old Kamala is having an identity crisis.  Born and raised in Jersey City in a Pakistani family, she’s beginning to feel like she doesn't fit in with either.  No one really understands her Avengers obsession or her love of fanfiction, and her parents say they trust her but won’t even consider letting her go to a party...at the waterfront...with boys.  In a late-night act of defiance, she sneaks out to the party and almost immediately regrets her decision.  She doesn't feel “normal” at all and the meatheads and clique-girls are only meaner and more xenophobic once it looks like Kamala has ditched her culture.  As she storms off and heads home a weird mist envelopes the city.  Out of the mist Iron Man, Captain America and Captain Marvel appear to Kamala.  When Captain Marvel asks Kamala, “Who do you want to be?” she answers, “I want to be you.”  But being Captain Marvel is not the cure-all Kamala had hoped for.  She has powers she can barely control, parents who are outraged at her disobedience, friends (and frenemies) in trouble, and a city that needs a superhero.  Ms. Marvel is here and Jersey will never be the same. --Regan Schwartz

Wilson, G. Willow, and Adrian Alphona. Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal. New York: Marvel Entertainment, 2014. Print.

Adventure Time Vol. 1 by Ryan North

A hapless snail has freed the evil Lich from his bag of holding and he is on a mission to destroy everyone and everything in the Land of Ooo.  It is up to Finn and his best friend Jake the magical dog, with the help of their friends, to defeat the Lich and save Ooo.  If you’ve never seen an episode of Adventure Time, the previous sentences may have sounded like gibberish, but fans of the popular television cartoon series will enjoy seeing it brought so faithfully to comic book form.  The art and dialogue are full of lively action, nonsense humor, and wordplay.  Adventure Time is a vibrant option for readers looking for humorous comics and offers a welcome entry point to the format for those turned off by mainstream superhero comics. --Regan Schwartz

Click here for an ELA lesson plan from Diamond Bookshelf.

North, Ryan. Adventure Time Vol. 1. Los Angeles: KaBoom!, 2013. Print.

DC Comics: The Ultimate Character Guide

Can you tell the difference between The Green Lantern and The Green Arrow, or Mister Terrific and Mister Mxyzptlk?  You may be in need of DC Comics: The Ultimate Character Guide.  This handy volume is extremely popular at our Belmont site where teens and adults alike are eager to expand their DC comics lexicon.  Prefaced by the shortest of introductions and a table of contents, over 200 heroes and villains from “the DC Universe” are listed and then presented in alphabetical order, beginning with Adam Strange and ending with Zoom.  Each character or group receives its own page.  Layout consistently features the character’s name, a one to three sentence summary of the character, vital stats (real name, occupation, height, weight, base, allies and foes), and boxed text describing the character’s powers.  The best-loved element are the accompanying illustrations, although they are only credited in the back as part of a mass “artists credits,” which is, in fact, the only backmatter.  Perfect for comic book fans, developing readers, and developing schema, this book may also be of interest to educators looking for a hi-lo non-fiction text for an introductory lesson on features of informational text and the sub-genre of visually busy non-fiction that DK practically invented. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Snider, Brandon T.   DC Comics: The Ultimate Character Guide.  New York:  DK Publishing, 2011.  Print.

Avengers Vs. X-Men

It’s battle mayhem, when Psyclops and Captain America can’t settle their differences about how to handle the second coming of the Phoenix Force.  In the past this cosmic being wreaked havoc on Earth by inhabiting Psyclops’ deceased wife, Jean Grey.  Believing that their daughter is the Phoenix’s next host, Psyclops has been training Hope for this moment.  That is until the Avengers get word of it and decide to take Hope away from her father and lock her up until they can find a way to completely eradicate the Phoenix Force.  With the entire mutant race and safety of the planet at stake, can both sides find common ground?

Readers who enjoyed Hulk Vs Wolverine or the Runaways will also enjoy Avengers Vs .X-Men.  This volume is not recommended as a starting point for readers new to the Marvel Universe.  In order to fully enjoy the the story, it requires for the reader to have knowledge about past Marvel Universe events and characters.--Claudio Leon

Aaron, Jason, Brian M. Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, Jonathan Hickman, John Romita, Olivier Coipel, Adam Kubert, Scott Hanna, Mark Morales, John Dell, and Chris Eliopoulos. A Vs X, Avengers Vs X-Men. New York: Marvel, 2013. Print.

Planet Hulk By Greg Pak

When Namor, Dr. Strange, Dr. Xavier, Reed Richards and Tony Stark decide to ship the Hulk to a faraway planet, their plan fails. The Hulk's shuttle enters a wormhole and lands in a completely different place than intended.  Planet Skaar is ruled by the Red King who captures the Hulk and makes him fight in the gladiator arena.  The Incredible Hulk will have to muster all of his strength, of which he has plenty, to fight his way to freedom and escape the grasp of the Red King, who rules Skaar with an iron fist. The story depicts a more human side of the Hulk, leaving Bruce Banner, the Hulk’s alter ego, completely out of the story.  It allows the reader to see, and perhaps understand, that there is more to the green beast than we’re usually led to believe.  Comic book fans will not be disappointed here.  Anyone who likes comics, especially Hulk fans, should pick this one up.  If the ending leaves you wanting more, make sure to follow up with the action packed World War Hulk. -- Claudio Leon

Greg Pak. Hulk: Planet Hulk. New York: Marvel Worldwide Inc, 2011. Print.

Superman: the Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel by Scott Beatty

Many people love Superman, but I think most people, even big fans, will find a lot of new information in this oversized guide to one of the original superheroes. Its format is almost like a visual encyclopedia; each double-page spread is dedicated to one Superman theme, and there are captions and little informative blurbs scattered around vivid, full-color drawings against a full-color background. While these themes are not arranged alphabetically, there is a sense of order -- the book is grouped into five main areas of focus: Birth of Superman, City of Tomorrow, Secrets of the Man of Steel, Supervillainy, and Superman’s Career. The back of the book features a detailed timeline of Superman through the years, both his story and the commercial development of the product. There is also a table of contents and an index. This book is very popular with students and adults; everyone likes to point out their favorite characters and story lines.

Beatty, Scott. Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel. New York: DK Publishing, 2002.