Batman: the Dark Knight Returns 30th Anniversary Edition by
Writer/artist Frank Miller completely reinvents the legend of Batman in this saga of a near-future Gotham City gone to rot, 10 years after the Dark Knight's retirement. Forced to take action, the Dark Knight returns in a blaze of fury, taking on a whole new generation of criminals and matching their level of violence. He is soon joined by a new Robin-a girl named Carrie Kelley, who proves to be just as invaluable as her predecessors. Can Batman and Robin deal with the threat posed by their deadliest enemies, after years of incarceration have turned them into perfect psychopaths? And more important, can anyone survive the coming fallout from an undeclared war between the superpowers-or the clash of what were once the world's greatest heroes?
Battle School by
There's a war coming. The same aliens who almost destroyed Earth once are coming back to get the whole job done this time. But we aren't going to just sit and die. The international military is taking our best and brightest to mold them into the finest military minds ever - and they're taking them young.
Black Panther: a Nation under Our Feet Book 1 by
MacArthur Genius and National Book Award-winner T- Nehisi Coates (Between the World and Me) takes the helm, confronting T'Challa with a dramatic upheaval in Wakanda. When a superhuman terrorist group that calls itself The People sparks a violent uprising, the land famed for its incredible technology and proud warrior traditions will be thrown into turmoil. If Wakanda is to survive, it must adapt - but can its monarch survive the necessary change?
The Complete Persepolis by
Here, in one volume: Marjane Satrapi's best-selling, internationally acclaimed graphic memoir of growing up as a girl in Iran during the revolution has for twenty years been a classroom staple, a feminist manifesto, and one of the most popular and widely known graphic novels of all time.
The Essential Calvin and Hobbes by
Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes has been a worldwide favorite since its introduction in 1985. The strip follows the richly imaginative adventures of Calvin and his trusty tiger, Hobbes. Whether a poignant look at serious family issues or a round of time-travel (with the aid of a well-labeled cardboard box), Calvin and Hobbes will astound and delight you.
Lazarus Book 1 by
This prestige hardcover collects the first two arcs of the critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling series; "Family," which introduces Forever Carlyle and her Family as they are brought to the brink of war in a future of economic collapse; and "Lift," where Forever uncovers a terrorist plot against her Family while another family altogether, the Barrets, take desperate measures to escape their life of poverty.
Runaways by
They were six normal teenagers linked only by their wealthy parents' annual business meeting until a chance discovery revealed that their parents are the secret criminal society known as the Pride! This group controlled all criminal activity in Los Angeles, ruling the city with an iron fist. and now, with their true natures exposed, they will take any measures necessary to protect their organization! Now on the run from their villainous parents, Nico, Chase, Karolina, Gertrude, Molly and Alex have only each other to rely on.
Saga Book One by
Saga is an epic space opera/fantasy comic book series created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples, published monthly by Image Comics. The series is heavily influenced by Star Wars, and based on ideas Vaughan conceived both as a child and as a parent. It depicts two lovers from long-warring extraterrestrial races, Alana and Marko, fleeing authorities from both sides of a galactic war as they struggle to care for their newborn daughter, Hazel, who occasionally narrates the series.
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by
One of the most popular and critically acclaimed graphic novels of all time, Neil Gaiman's award-winning masterpiece The Sandman set the standard for mature, lyrical fantasy in the modern comics era. Illustrated by an exemplary selection of the medium's most gifted artists, the series is a rich blend of modern and ancient mythology in which contemporary fiction, historical drama, and legend are seamlessly interwoven. The Sandman Vol. 1- Preludes & Nocturnes 30th Anniversary Edition collects issues #1-8 of the original run of The Sandman, beginning an epic saga unique in graphic literature and introducing readers to a dark and enchanting world of dreams and nightmares--the home of Morpheus, the King of Dreams, and his kin, the Endless.
Truth by
Set in the Marvel Universe, the series takes the Tuskegee Experiments as inspiration for a tale that re-examines the history of the super-serum that created Captain America. Beginning in 1942, the series follows a regiment of black soldiers who are forced to act as test subjects in a program attempting to re-create the lost formula earlier used to turn Steve Rogers to Captain America. The experiments lead to mutation and death, until only one Isaiah Bradley.
The Umbrella Academy Volume 1: Apocalypse Suite by
In an inexplicable worldwide event, forty-three extraordinary children were spontaneously born to women who'd previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, "To save the world." These seven children form the Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers. Their first adventure at the age of ten pits them against an erratic and deadly Eiffel Tower, piloted by the fearsome zombie-robot Gustave Eiffel. Nearly a decade later, the team disbands, but when Hargreeves unexpectedly dies, these disgruntled siblings reunite just in time to save the world once again.
Graphic novels and comic books tell stories through a combination of words and graphic images both in color and black and white. Comic books are short, serialized stories that can continue over months and or even years. These often have minimal text and the focus is on the art and images within the publication. Graphic novels are longer than comic books and may have more complex stories, with a greater focus on writing, as they are not issued in a serialized format. However, serialized comic books are often printed together as a book after an initial serialized run and these books are commonly referred to as graphic novels. Typically, comics and graphic novels take the form of a sequence of images and text in panels. The panels contain devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia to indicate speech, narration, and sound effects. The history of comics is often traced to European comics in the 1830s and became a popular success in the 1930s with The Adventures of Tintin. The appearance of comic strips in newspapers and comic books furthered the success of the medium and the superhero genre boomed after the introduction of Superman in 1938. Check out the books below to learn more about comics, graphic novels, and famous characters in the DC and Marvel universe.
Comics and Sequential Art by 
DC Comics Encyclopedia All-New Edition by 
Marvel Encyclopedia by 
The Origins of Comics by Manga are graphic novels and comics that originate from Japan. Manga roughly translates as "whimsical pictures" and its history can be traced back to emakimono (scrolls) from twelfth century Japan as well as picture books from eighteenth century Japan. The popularity of manga exploded after World War II with publications like Mighty Atom (known as Astro Boy in the United States). Manga is printed in two forms: anthology magazines that contain several serials and tankōbon (books) that collect long-running serials from the anthologies and reprint them in one volume. Learn more about manga by checking out the books below or viewing the library's Manga and Anime Guide!
The Art of Drawing Manga by 
Manga : An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives by 
Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics by 
Manga from the Floating World by 
Welcome to Neo-Tokyo, built on the ashes of a Tokyo annihilated by a blast of unknown origin that triggered World War III. The lives of two streetwise teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, change forever when paranormal abilities begin to waken in Tetsuo, making him a target for a shadowy agency that will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like the one that leveled Tokyo. At the core of the agency’s motivation is a raw, all-consuming fear of an unthinkable, monstrous power known only as Akira.
Location: Popular Books (Reading Room 1st Floor) ; PN6790 .J34 A4513 2009 v.1
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age story that explores friendship, love, and coming out. This edition features beautiful two-color artwork. Now streaming on Netflix! Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn't think he has a chance. But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.
Location: Popular Books (Reading Room 1st Floor) ; 741.5 OSE
The world building of Wakanda continues in a love story where tenderness is matched only by brutality! You know them now as the Midnight Angels, but in this story they are just Ayo and Aneka, young women recruited to become Dora Milaje, an elite task force trained to protect the crown of Wakanda at all costs. Their first assignment will be to protect Queen Shuri... but what happens when your nation needs your hearts and minds, but you already gave them to each other? Meanwhile, former king T'Challa lies with bedfellows so dark, disgrace is inevitable. Plus, explore the true origins of the People's mysterious leader, Zenzi. Black Panther thinks he knows who Zenzi is and how she got her powers - but he only knows part of the story!
Location: Popular Books (Reading Room 1st Floor) ; PN6728 .B523 G39x 2017
A cursed, seemingly immortal warrior aids a young girl in her quest for revenge, as the students of a brutal new sword school tear a bloody path across Japan. Intense and audacious, Blade takes period samurai action and deftly combines it with a modernist street idiom to create a style and mood like no other work of graphic fiction.
Location: Popular Books (Reading Room 1st Floor) ; PN6790 .J33 S26513 2020 v.1
If you have any questions, please contact Librarian Lauren Hall at lhall1@csustan.edu
A Bride's Story, Vol. 1 by
Acclaimed creator Kaoru Mori (Emma, Shirley) brings the nineteenth-century Silk Road to lavish life, chronicling the story of Amir Halgal, a young woman from a nomadic tribe betrothed to a twelve-year-old boy eight years her junior. Coping with cultural differences, blossoming feelings for her new husband, and expectations from both her adoptive and birth families, Amir strives to find her role as she settles into a new life and a new home in a society quick to define that role for her.
The Drifting Classroom, Vol. 1 by
In the aftermath of a strange earthquake, an entire elementary school vanishes, leaving nothing but a hole in the ground. While parents mourn and authorities investigate, the students and teachers of find themselves somewhere far away...somewhere cold and dark... a lifeless, nightmarish wasteland among which their school stands like a lone fortress. As panic turns to terror, as the rules start to fall apart, a 6th-grade boy named Sho and his friends must try to survive in a hostile new world...
Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 1 by
After a family tragedy turns her life upside down, plucky high schooler Tohru Honda takes matters into her own hands and moves out...into a tent! Unfortunately for her, she pitches her new home on private land belonging to the mysterious Sohma clan, and it isn't long before the owners discover her secret. But, as Tohru quickly finds out when the family offers to take her in, the Sohmas have a secret of their own--when touched by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac!
Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 1 by 
My Hero Academia, Vol. 1 by
Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn't got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny...
Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 1 by
The battle to decide the fate of Meiji-era swordsmanship has begun! Action, romance, and historical intrigue help make Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin, the tale of a wandering swordsman set against the backdrop of the Meiji Restoration, one of the most popular Shonen Jump titles among fans to date. Himura Kenshin, once an assassin (or hitokiri ) of ferocious power, now fights to protect the honor of those in need.
Vagabond (VIZBIG Edition), Vol. 1 by
Vagabond portrays a fictionalized account of the life of Japanese swordsman Musashi Miyamoto, based on Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Musashi. Real-life figure Miyamoto Musashi was the most celebrated samurai of all time. The quintessential warrior-philosopher, Musashi authored A Book of Five Rings, a classic treatise in the canon of world philosophy and military strategy. But the path to enlightenment is an endless journey, and to get there through violent means--by way of the sword--makes mere survival an even greater challenge.