Graphic Novels at HMCPL

Reprinted in All Star Comics Archives Vol. 3

A war-time story with social themes, Gardner Fox pens this story of the Justice Society delivering food to starving soldiers.

Reprinted in Robin the Boy Wonder: A Celebration of 75 Years

The first appearance of Robin, Batman's kid sidekick that set the standard for the multitude of kid sidekicks that would follow after him.

Reprinted in Batman Archives Vol. 6

A grim Batman mystery about an aging gangster exactly brutal revenge on a group of criminals that murdered his son.

Reprinted in Spirit Archives Vol. 13

The first appearance of one of the Spirit's best femmes fatales from his rogue's gallery, P'Gell.

Reprinted in The Carl Barks Library Set VII

The original 30 issues of this series were colorized reprints of newspaper comics previously released. Starting with #31, new content in the form of 10-page stories from Carl Barks began, who is attributed with some of the very best Disney Duck comics.

Reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes: 1,050 Years of the Future

Teen superheroes from the future travel back in time to recruit their inspiration to join the Legion of Super-Heroes!

Reprinted in Frontline Combat

Hard-hitting yet intensely human stories by Harvey Kurtzman and Jack Davis.

Reprinted in EC Archives: Shock Suspenstories Vol. 1

This title originally was sort of a sampler featuring various stories of horror, war, crime, and scifi but hit it's stride and set the tone for the series with "The Patriots" - a cautionary story about the dangers of patriotic zeal taken too far.

Reprinted in The Flash: A Celebration of 75 Years

Heralded as the start of the Silver Age of Comics, this issue features the first appearance of police scientist Barry Allen as the new Flash, taking the name of the Golden Age Flash that was his inspiration.

Reprinted in Superman: From the '30's to the '70's & Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years

The Origin of the Superman/Batman team-up and when they learned each other's identities, although they had shared covers on World's Finest before this, this issue was their very first time meeting.

Reprinted in Legion of Super Heroes: Life and Death of Ferro Lad

Legionaires begin seeing the ghost of Ferro Lad, who sacrificed himself to save the universe though nothing is quite what it seems...

Reprinted in The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 (Marvel Masterworks)

Featuring the first appearance of Spider-Man in the last issue of a failing anthology book featuring a teenager that was a super-hero and not just a sidekick.

Reprinted in Fantastic Four Vol. 1 (Marvel Masterworks)

Featuring a team of explorers that were bombarded by cosmic rays and gained strange powers. They were a family and didn't always get along just like real families and didn't even have secret identities! This comic broke tradition and firmly established the Marvel Age of Comics.

Reprinted in The Flash: A Celebration of 75 Years

The very first parallel world story that would be a mainstay of DC Comics for decades to come. The Flashes of Earth-1 and Earth-2 meet for the first time as they battle the Fiddler, Thinker and Shade.

Reprinted in The Incredible Hulk Vol. 1 (Marvel Masterworks)

A Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde story for the atomic age featuring a meek scientist caught in an experimental gamma bomb explosion while saving a teenager and transformed into a hulk!

Reprinted in Deadman Book One

Slain by an unknown assassin with a hook hand during his performance, Boston Brand now wanders the world as a spirit able to possess the bodies of living people for a short time as he tries to find his killer.

Reprinted in Avengers: The Kree/Skrull War

The beginning of the nine-issue epic Kree-Skrull War storyarc, featuring all the major players of the Marvel Universe and the super-science Kree and shape-shifting Skrull races and the return of Rick Jones and Captain Marvel.

Reprinted in Avengers: The Kree/Skrull War

The Kree/Skrull War rages on as the Earth heroes rally and Hank Pym, Ant Man, shrinks down and enters the Vision in an attempt to fix the android.

Reprinted in Superman VS Wonder Woman Tabloid Edition

This Earth-2 tale of Superman and Wonder Woman in World War II has the heroes scrambling to keep the nuclear secrets of the Manhattan Project out of Nazi hands. The problem is Superman sees the potential of using nuclear weapons to end Hitler's reign of terror while Wonder Woman would keep nuclear weapons from humanity all-together, not only must the heroes contend which each other but the champions of the Axis as well, Baron Blitzkrieg & Sumo!

Reprinted in Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard Travelin' Heroes Deluxe Edition

With the threat of looming cancellation, Editor Juilus Schwartz green lit a strong new direction for the title teaming Green Lantern with Green Arrow and having them hit the road across America to tackle real-life issues.

Reprinted in Marvel Comics: The World Outside Your Window

In this powerful issue Iron Man struggles with alcohol addiction amid the stress going on in his personal life, and is helped by his friends to turn over a new leaf.

Reprinted in Kamandi Archives Vol. 1

Another of Jack Kirby's futuristic series for DC after his departure from Marvel, Kamandi takes place after the "Great Disaster" where talking anthropomorphic animals rule.

The story of Ogami Ittō, a skilled samurai warrior and executioner for the emperor that was betrayed by a rival clan and forced to take on the way of the ronin to avenge his wife's death and his family's honor with his son Daigorō in tow. Together they are Lone Wolf & Cub, assassins for hire and walk the path of meifumadō, the road to hell.

Reprinted in Jack Kirby's Mister Miracle

Part of Jack Kirby Fourth World series after he made the jump to DC from Marvel featuring Scott Free - the child of Highfather from New Genesis but raised on Apokolips as part of a pact with Darkseid. He is able to escape and flees to earth, becoming Mister Miracle, super escape artist!

Reprinted in Star Wars: A New Hope

The adaptation of the first Star Wars movie that was published before the movie was actually released, the series continued for 107 issues.

Reprinted in Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore

The Sand Superman/Kryptonite Nevermore Saga
A scientist's experiment to use kryptonite as an energy source goes awry, transforming all kryptonite on Earth into harmless iron, rendering Superman without any weaknesses. In the aftermath of the explosion from the experiment, an energy being from another dimension fused with Superman's imprint in the sand and was able to leech power from Superman, weakening him permanently. This was a way for writers to de-power Superman from his god-like powers of the 60's as well as update Clark's persona having him begin working for Morgan Edge at a news station.

The epic cyberpunk series that inspired the cult classic animated movie.

Reprinted in the Wizard Masterpiece Edition: 10 Greatest Spider-Man Stories

The Boy Who Collected Spider-Man
A touching human interest story about a chronically ill little boy, who is Spider-Man's biggest fan, getting to meet his hero and spend the day with him.

Reprinted in Batman: A Death in the Family

The infamous storyarc that killed the second Robin, Jason Todd. When it was originally released as single issues, readers were asked to call a 900 number to vote if Robin would live or die in the last issue.

Amazing Spider-Man #293-294, Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132, Web of Spider-Man #31-32 (1987)

Reprinted in Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt

Kraven the Hunters stalks the most dangerous game, Spider-Man! After drugging and burying Spider-Man alive, Kraven assumes his identity to become a 'superior' hero.

Reprinted in X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills

This stand-alone graphic novel features a deranged preacher using religion to stoke the fires of hatred again mutants.

Reprinted in Suicide Squad Vol. 1: Trial by Fire

Spinning out from their first appearance in the Legends miniseries comes the Bronze Age incarnation of the Suicide Squad, made up of second-string super villains led by Rick Flag under the supervision of Amanda Waller this was a groundbreaking series that never failed to disappoint.

Reprinted in DC Universe: The Tales of Alan Moore & Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

"For the Man Who Has Everything"
On his birthday, Superman is trapped in a fantasy world thanks to a parasitic plant gifted to him by Mongol. Isolated in the Fortress of Solitude Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman try to rouse him from this mirage of a perfect life before the plant kills him.

Reprinted in X-Men: Days of Future Past

The last of the Christ Claremont/John Byrne run sees an adult Kitty Pride sending her consciousness back through time to her present-day teenage body to stop an assassination that will set in motion a post-apocalyptic future for mutants.

Reprinted in Watchmen

Set in an alternate version of 80's America where Nixon is in his fifth term as president, this iconic series turned the super hero narrative on it's head and made a lasting impact on comics, turning things to a more grim and gritty tone.

Avengers Spotlight #26-28, Avengers #311-313, Quasar #5-7, Iron Man #251-252, Avengers West Coast #53-55, Mutant Misadventures of Cloak & Dagger #9, Captain America #365-367, Thor #411-413, Avengers Annual #19, Avengers Spotlight #29 (1989-1990)
Reprinted in Acts of Vengeance: Avengers

The Marvel Event to kick off the 90's had a cabal of super-villains plot to bring down all their arch nemesis by trading places, forcing the heroes to battle foes they were unfamiliar with.

Reprinted in Astro City Vol. 1: Life in the Big CIty

A series of vignettes telling both human and super human stories from Astro City, a city populated by super heroes. One of the very best super hero comics o fall times that addresses many different genres and comic book tropes.

Batman #492-500, Detective Comics #659-666 (1993-1994)
Reprinted in Batman: Knightfall Book One

Spanning all the 90's Bat-books, Knightfall begins the story of Bane breaking Batman's back and putting him into retirement to be succeeded by Azrael as the new Batman, only to be forced out of retirement when Azrael goes insane. This story was adapted for the 90's animated series and very loosely adapted in the third Christopher Nolan Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises.

(1998)

A painstakingly researched look at the Jack the Ripper murders with Alan Moore's theory of what really happened.

Reprinted in Hellboy Omnibus Vol 1

The first miniseries of the wildly popular Hellboy, which would be a cornerstone of Dark Horse comics and spawn series mini-series and spin-off titles.

Reprinted in Kingdom Come

An elseworlds tale about the future of the DC Universe where Superman must come out of retirement to deal with the next generation of heroes that have lost their way.

Reprinted in Marvels

A look at the Silver Age of Marvel Comics told through the eyes of an everyman reporter.

The fan favorite black-owned publisher that created several black superheroes, included Static Shock.

Originally published in single magazine form in Hardware 1-12, Blood Syndicate 1-12, Icon 1-10, Static 1-8, Shadow Cabinet 0, Xombi 0-11

Reprinted in Thunderbolts: Justice, Like Lightning...

In the wake of the disappearance of several super-teams fighting Onslaught, a new band of heroes stepped up to fill the vacuum, except they were just super-villains looking to cash in and make new names for themselves.

Reprinted in Birds of Prey: Murder & Mystery

Featuring the beginning of Gail Simoine's legendary run on the title, following Oracle (the original Batgirl before she was crippled) leading a team of all female super-heroes!

Reprinted in Captain America: Winter Solider

Bringing Cap into the new millennium! Setting the tone for the movies that would follow as well as bringing back the long dead sidekick Bucky in a plausible and tasteful way, this is Brubaker at his best!

Reprinted in Captain America: Truth

The secret history of the first Captain America, revealing the secret tests the US government did on black soldiers to refine the super soldier serum.

Reprinted in New Frontier

A re-imagining of the transition of the Golden Age to the Silver Age of DC Comics.

Reprinted in Gotham Central Vol. 1: In the Line of Duty

A police procedural set in Gotham City and focusing on the police rather than Batman or any of his operatives.

Reprinted in The Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 1: The Last Iron Fist Story

An update of Iron Fist by the stellar team of Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction tells how Danny Rand became Iron Fist and the long line of Iron Fists that came before him, as well as the other champions from the seven capital cities of heaven.

Reprinted in Jonah Hex Vol. 1: Face Full of Violence

An excellent western series filled with mostly self-contained issues featuring the classic DC character. A solid and enjoyable read and a love letter to the feel of spaghetti westerns.

Reprinted in Marvel 1602

Re-imagining the Marvel Universe and it's most popular characters in the year 1602!

(2002)

A biography of Jeffery Dahmer's youth told through the eyes of the cartoonist who went to school with him. This was recently turned into a movie!

(2000)

Based on the author's visits to the region of the Bosnian conflicts in 1994-1995 and interviews with the Bosnians trapped there. Non-fiction comics journalism!

Reprinted in Black Hammer Library Edition Book 1

A fresh new take on a look at a team of Silver-Age inspired super-heroes trapped in a strange town after making what they thought was the ultimate sacrifice to stop a great cosmic evil.

(2015)

A lovingly researched and comprehensive history of hip hop from it's modest beginnings on the east coast and all the interconnected players of the early days

This powerful memoir trilogy details Senator John Lewis' role in the Civil Rights Movement and his time with Martin Luther King Jr.

Kamala Khan, an normal Muslim girl from Jersey and a Captain Marvel fangirl gains super powers and takes up the former mantle of her hero and claims it as her own. This series brought mainstream attention to a push for more diversity in superhero comics.

Moon Knight #1-6 (2014)

A fresh take on Moon Knight, and the best one in decades! Moon Knight is back and fueled by the mystical forces of Egyptian moon-god Khonshu, but also taking on the three facets of the deity!

The first book in a duology set in 1960's Chicago follows 10-year-old Karen, a horror fanatic attempting to solve the murder of her beloved holocaust-survivor neighbor.

What starts out as a story of star-crossed lovers spirals into a sprawling cosmic odyssey featuring an array of unforgettable characters. One of the very best series to come out of the decade and still going strong.