Grog the Frog

Alba BG and Davilorium (Silver Sprocket)

Recc'd by: ALLISON

All Hail Grog!

If you want to have a really fun time reading an really fun comic, get down with Grog the Frog. Join our hero, a grumpy and impeccably dressed wizard as he journeys through mystical mountains and quirky chaos. Come for the breathtaking colors, stay for the whimsey and sass. As a publisher, I personally cannot get enough of Silver Sprocket.

Suggested for a Teen & Up Audience

Usagi Yojimbo

Stan Sakai (Dark Horse Comics)

Recc'd by: ALLISO

If you’ve somehow missed Usagi Yojimbo, stop what are you doing and pick this comic up. The longest independent serial comic in existence, Usagi follows a wandering Ronin rabbit on his epic journey across early 17th century Japan. Set in an anthropomorphic world including cats, bats, rhinos, dinosaurs, and a variety of monsters and ghosts, Usagi tries not to get involved in local politics, however his duty to help those in need tends to get the best of him.

Author Stan Sakai has won numerous Eisner awards as well as the National Society of Cartoonist Award and Parents Choice Award. The sole creator and owner, Stan’s writing is fluid and relaxed, and the comic is immersed in carefully researched details of Japanese history, art, and folklore. Easily one of my top five comic series of all time! Also check out his recent team up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the latest one shot or hard cover format.

Suggested for a All Ages

20th Century Men

Alba BG and Davilorium (Silver Sprocket)

Recc'd by: AUDREY

Among the best comics I've read in years.

An alternate history war comic about the US and Russian invasion of Afghanistan. This is part war story, part superhero deconstruction, part revolutionary, anti-colonialist scream. All three descriptions end up selling this book short. In 8 issues it feels like it manages to be about everything.

Powerful enough to shake the earth, it's a book that it's impossible to just read as it will reach out and grab you, shake you, change you, leave you sobbing. I will read anything this writer or artist ever puts out in hopes of glimpsing again the sublime I found while reading this.

Suggested for a Teen & Up Audience

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl

Ryan North and Erica Henderson (& others) (Marvel Comics)

Recc'd by: ALLISON

Do you need a break from this serious world, or overly serious comics? Do you long for the fun of 60s Marvel comics? If so, spend some time with Doreen Green, the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl! Armed with the powers of a girl, of a squirrel, of computer science, and most importantly of friendship, Doreen takes on the likes of Galactus, Kraven the Hunter, and Doctor Doom. Meet her brilliant sidekick Tippy Toe, follow her tweets to mentor Tony Stark, check out her collection of Deadpool’s Guide to Super Villain cards, and don’t miss the snarky comments hidden on the bottom of many pages.

Author Ryan North, the creator of Adventure Time, keeps the dialogue whimsical and modern while channeling a comprehensive history of silver age Marvel Comics. Artist Erica Henderson's style is sharp and expressive. Excellent reading for all ages, and complete with a theme song!

Suggested for a All Ages

Wicked and the Divine

Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie and Matthew Wilson(Image)

Recc'd by: AUDREY

The Sandman for music lovers. An epic about 12 young people discovering they have been reincarnated as Gods. They have the power and influence to shape the world, and they have 2 years to do it, at the end of those 2 years they will die, the power will burn them up. Naturally, they become celebrities and pop stars.

Infinitely re-readable, action packed, emotionally visceral urban fantasy comic that eventually spans the entire scope of human history. A comic so fun it’s easy to overlook the it’s depths.

Suggested for a Teen & Up Audience

By Chance or Providence

Becky Cloonan (Image Comics)

Recc'd by: NICKI

Previously self-published and then collected through kickstarter, By Chance or Providence is my favorite work by one of my most admired writers and artists, Becky Cloonan. A collection of three separate comics, each story is beautifully dark and gothic, folding in elements of nordic storytelling and the kind of eeriness that only comes from the oldest of fairy-tales.

The art itself is gorgeous, using simple 3-4 color palettes and letting the heavy, dramatic inks do most of the work. You can really sink your teeth into these stories, and get lost in the melancholic, heavy fantasy of medieval curses, supernatural creatures and terrible, tragic love.

Suggested for a Teen & Up Audience

Sleepless

Sarah Vaughn, Leila Del Duca, Alissa Sallah (Image Comics)

Recc'd by: CHARLIE

You may know the story of Sleeping Beauty-- a beautiful princess is cursed to sleep until she is woken by true love's kiss. Now, flip that story upside down and you get: a knight who is cursed to never sleep and is sworn to guard the kingdom until he is released from his vows or-- worse-- falls into insanity and a deathlike sleep.

Cyrenic, a Sleepless Knight, is sworn to Lady "Poppy" Pyppenia and his job becomes even harder when the new king is coronated. As the threats to her life mount, Poppy and Cyrenic race to uncover who is behind the attacks and just what it is their mysterious enemy wants from Poppy. With no help from Poppy's uncle (the king) and faced with a court full of suspects, Poppy and Cyrenic have no one to trust but each other. Filled with high fantasy magic, political intrigue, and a romance to make your heart swoon, Sleepless is a story that will become an indelible icon in the fantasy comic genre.

Suggested for a Teen & Up Audience

Motor Crush

Babs Tarr, Brenden Fletcher, and Cameron Stewart (Image Comics)

Recc'd by: CHARLIE

Set in the futuristic Nova Honda, MOTOR CRUSH follows Domino Swift, a star racer in the worldwide motorcycle league. But Domino has a secret-- at night, she competes in vicious underground tournaments against biker gangs to win Crush, a machine narcotic that can boost racers' engines. For Domino, however, it isn't about making her bike faster; it's about staying alive. For reasons unknown, Domino must ingest doses of Crush to survive, or else succumb to her strange illness. 

Equal parts action and family drama, MOTOR CRUSH is a thrill ride of a comic. With gorgeous art, diverse and engaging characters, and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, MOTOR CRUSH is one of the best comics on the shelf.  Tarr, Fletcher, and Stewart are a dream team and a force to be reckoned with in modern comics.

Suggested for a Mature Audience