Contact Wellington City Libraries | Help | Site Index | Privacy statement

Wellington City Libraries

Te Matapihi Ki Te Ao Nui

Search options

Teen Blog

Reading, Wellington, and whatever else – teenblog@wcl.govt.nz

Category: comics and graphic novels Page 1 of 5

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… The Fantastic Four

By

On Friday, 5 April, 2024

In comics and graphic novels, stuff to read, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character or series. This post is all about Marvel’s First Family, The Fantastic Four!

Who are the Fantastic Four?

During a space expedition, four astronauts – scientist Reed Richards, pilot Ben Grimm, student Sue Storm and her kid brother Johnny – were bombarded by cosmic rays. After returning to Earth, the team discovered they had gained superpowers: Reed could stretch his body to incredible lengths, Ben became a super-strong rocky being, Sue was now able to turn invisible and create force fields, and Johnny could ignite his body into flame and fly.  

Dubbing themselves Mr. Fantastic, The Thing, the Invisible Woman, and the Human Torch (respectively), the quartet now explore the cosmos and fight incredible villains together as the Fantastic Four. 


Fantastic Four : Origins

We have the first ten issues of the original Fantastic Four series on our eLibrary, which covers their origin and their first meetings with villains such as the Skrulls and Doctor Doom. The team’s origin and early history has also been retold in the Grand Design graphic novel, the Marvels miniseries, and the History of the Marvel Universe.

Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four Volume 1 (only on Libby)

Fantastic Four : grand design / Scioli, Tom

Marvels / Busiek, Kurt

History of the Marvel Universe / Waid, Mark


Waid and Wieringo run

The definitive Fantastic Four run of the 2000s was by writer Mark Waid and artist Mike Wieringo. This run is regarded as the ideal Fantastic Four series, as it balances family sitcom shenanigans with super-science adventures. Stories collected here include one of Doctor Doom’s greatest revenge plots, Human Torch becoming the herald to Galactus the Devourer of Worlds, and the team travelling to Heaven itself to resurrect The Thing.

Fantastic Four by Waid & Wieringo

Waid would later return to the Four to write the Antithesis miniseries.

Fantastic 4 : antithesis / Waid, Mark


Johnathan Hickman run

Johnathan Hickman is one of Marvel’s most prolific writers, whose runs on Avengers and X-Men have updated and reinvigorated the teams for the 2010s and beyond, but he got his start writing Fantastic Four. Here, Reed meets the multiversal Council of Reeds and is compelled to ‘solve everything’ in his world, establishing the Four’s spinoff super-science team, the Future Foundation, to aid them.

Fantastic Four [1] / Hickman, Jonathan (also on Libby)

Fantastic Four [2] / Hickman, Jonathan (also on Libby)

Fantastic Four. Vol. 3, Unified field theory / Hickman, Jonathan

Fantastic Four. Vol. 4, Three / Hickman, Jonathan

Future Foundation. Vol two, The Supremor seed / Hickman, Jonathan

Future Foundation. Vol. three, All hope lies in doom / Hickman, Jonathan

Fantastic Four. Vol. 6, Foundation / Hickman, Jonathan

The Future Foundation would return in a new series, starring members of another Marvel family superhero quartet, the Power Pack.

Future Foundation / Whitley, Jeremy

Read More

Love and Paranormal Entities: New Teen Books in the Collection

By

On Thursday, 28 March, 2024

In comics and graphic novels, dystopia, fantasy, horror and spooky stuff, new stuff (ooh, shiny!), non-fiction, stuff to read

We’ve got lots of fresh, new stories amongst our new books in the collection this month.  From ghost stories and social media, to rebound relationships and dealing with racism, there are a lot of new themes to explore.  Take a look at this selection from our new books below…

Comics

Ghost roast / Gibbs, Shawnelle
“Fifteen-year-old Chelsea, daughter of a paranormal specialist, risks her hard-won popularity and more when she is drawn into a paranormal romance after discovering her own ability to communicate with ghosts.” (Catalogue)

In utero / Gooch, Chris
“Twelve years after a disastrous explosion, young Hailey is dropped off by her mum at a holiday camp in a dilapidated shopping mall. Alienated from the other kids, she connects with an eerie older teen named Jen… but soon dark horrors awaken, and the two new friends are caught up in a cataclysmic battle between two terrifying creatures who have been lying dormant all this time.” (Catalogue)

Voyage de gourmet / Tobin, Paul
“Layne Green is a social media sensation of a cook. He’s selected to compete on a reality TV show called Voyage de Gourmet – a globe-trotting foodie adventure. However, his partner is his former best friend, Jiang-Mi Pipper, someone that he really wronged with some of his posts. Can the two find forgiveness, flavor, and themselves on this journey?” (Catalogue)

A condition called love. 1 / Morino, Megumi
“Hotaru is a 16-year-old high school first year who has always been ambivalent about love, preferring instead to have a lively life with her family and friends. So when she sees her schoolmate, Hananoi-kun, sitting in the snow after a messy, public breakup, she thinks nothing of offering to share her umbrella. But when he asks her out in the middle of her classroom the next day, she can’t help but feel that her life is about to change in a big way…” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Fiction

Artifacts of an ex / Chen, Jennifer
“When Chloe Chang gets dumped via USPS after moving across the county from NYC to LA, she doesn’t throw her box of memories in the garbage. Instead, she starts buying other teenagers’ break-up boxes to create an art exhibit, Heartifacts. On opening night she spots Daniel Kwak illicitly filming his best friend’s reaction to his ex’s box. They spark, but Daniel is dead set on not being another rebound. Five times he’s been the guy who makes the girls he’s dating realize they want to get back with their ex, and he believes Chloe isn’t ready for a new relationship.” (Catalogue)

Twelve bones / Talbot, Rosie
“The thing about death is … it sneaks up on you. Seventeen-year-old seer Charlie and his new boyfriend, Sam, know that the dead can’t hurt the living. It’s ghosts who need protection from dangerous soul catchers – and the boys have promised to keep them safe. But when a powerful force interferes with their defences, and a brutal attack leaves them questioning everything they know, the boys realize there is more at stake than they ever imagined.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Shut up, this is serious / Ixta, Carolina
“Belen Dolores Itzel del Toro wants the normal stuff: to experience love or maybe have a boyfriend or at least just lose her virginity. But nothing is normal in East Oakland. Her father left her family. She’s at risk of not graduating. And Leti, her super-Catholic, nerdy-ass best friend, is pregnant–by the boyfriend she hasn’t told her parents about because he’s Black and her parents are racist.” (Catalogue)

Caught in a bad fauxmance / Rose, Elle Gonzalez
“From debut author Elle Gonzalez Rose comes a fresh, fun contemporary rom-com about an aspiring artist who agrees to fake date one of his family’s longtime enemies, in the hopes of gathering intel strong enough to take down their rivals and keep the family cabin they gambled in a risky bet.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Non-Fiction

The art of being a brilliant teenager / Cope, Andrew
“The Art of Being A Brilliant Teenager teaches you how to become your very best self–and how to figure out who that is, exactly. Stay cool under all the pressures you’re facing, and plot a map for the future that takes you wherever it is you want to go. Become proactive, determined, successful and most importantly: happy! The bottom line is this: it’s easy to be the average version of yourself, but is that really all you want?” (Adapted from Catalogue)

For more new items in the collection, go to: What’s new / March 2024 (wcl.govt.nz)

Brooms, Break-Ups and Bizarre Murders: New Teen Books in the Collection

By

On Saturday, 24 February, 2024

In comics and graphic novels, dystopia, fantasy, mysteries & whodunnits, new stuff (ooh, shiny!), non-fiction, science fiction, stuff to read

It’s February and we’ve got another fine selection of new books in the Young Adult collection.  And what a diverse lot!  From alternative fiction about broom racing and bigotry, to help with finding your voice in a difficult and changing world, and a wild new story about a serial killer with a menstrual obsession, there’s a lot to explore.  Check out this selection of just some of the titles that have hit our shelves this month…

Comics

Brooms / Walls, Jasmine
“It’s 1930s Mississippi. Magic is permitted only in certain circumstances, and by certain people. Unsanctioned broom racing is banned. But for those who need the money, or the thrills… it’s there to be found. Brooms is a queer, witchy Fast and the Furious that shines light on history not often told – it’s everything you’d ever want to read in a graphic novel.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Guardians of the Galaxy. Vol. 1, Grootfall / Kelly, Collin
“One year ago, the Guardians of the Galaxy were torn apart – their optimistic future shattered by the betrayal of one of their own. Now they ride the space lanes of a lawless corner of the galaxy, trying to outrun their tragedy. Caught in the middle of a civil war, those who were once Guardians face a battle that was lost from the start. Because they’re about to find themselves face-to-face with their old ally Groot – and he’s not the friend they remember! Where Groot goes, Rocket won’t be far behind – but he’s not happy to see the Guardians!” (Adapted from Catalogue)

If you’ll have me / Eunnie
“Momo Gardner is the kind of friend who’s always ready to lend a helping hand. She’s introverted, sensitive, and maybe a little too trusting, but she likes to believe the best in people. PG, on the other hand, is a bit of a lone wolf, despite her reputation for being a flirt and a player. An unexpected meet-cute brings the two together, kicking off the beginning of an awkward yet endearing courtship–but with their drastically different personalities, Momo’s overprotective friend, and PG’s past coming back to haunt her, Momo and PG’s romance is put to the test.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Static : up all night / Giles, Lamar
“After Virgil Hawkins reveals his secret identity as Static to his girlfriend, Daisy, she breaks up with him, leaving him free to go to a big music festival with his best friend Richie Foley (also known as superhero Gear), but they soon run into girls who each have secret identities of their own.” (Catalogue)

Fiction

Thin air / Parker, Kellie M.
“Seventeen-year-old boarding school student Emily Walters is selected for an opportunity of a lifetime–she’ll compete abroad for a cash prize that will cover not only tuition to the college of her choice, but will lift her mother and her out of poverty. But almost from the moment she and 11 other contestants board a private jet to Europe, Emily realizes somebody is willing to do anything to win. As loyalties shift and secrets are revealed, Emily must figure out who to trust, and who’s trying to kill them all, before she becomes the next victim.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Murtagh / Paolini, Christopher
“The world is no longer safe for the Dragon Rider Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn. An evil king has been toppled, and they are left to face the consequences of the reluctant role they played in his reign of terror. Now they are hated and alone, exiled to the outskirts of society. So begins an epic journey into lands both familiar and untraveled, where Murtagh and Thorn must use every weapon in their arsenal, from brains to brawn, to find and outwit a mysterious witch. A witch who is much more than she seems.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Murder on a school night / Weston, Kate
“All Kerry wants to do is stay at home with her rom-coms and strict retainer schedule. Instead, her BFF Annie has roped her into going to their first sixth-form party to investigate who’s cyberbullying Heather, the most popular girl in school. On the cusp of kissing her dreamy crush, Scott, Kerry discovers the body of Heather’s second in command – suffocated with a menstrual cup. Within days, another student turns up dead, this time with a sanitary pad across the eyes. Now Annie and Kerry are officially on the case to stop the menstrual murderer… period.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Gwen & Art are not in love / Croucher, Lex
“Gwen, the quick-witted Princess of England, and Arthur, future lord and general gadabout, have been betrothed since birth. Unfortunately, the only thing they can agree on is that they hate each other. When Gwen catches Art kissing a boy and Art discovers where Gwen hides her diary (complete with racy entries about Bridget Leclair, the kingdom’s only female knight), they become reluctant allies. By pretending to fall for each other, their mutual protection will be assured. But how long can they keep up the ruse? With Gwen growing closer to Bridget, and Art becoming unaccountably fond of Gabriel, Gwen’s infuriatingly serious, bookish brother, the path to true love is looking far from straight” (Catalogue)

Non-Fiction

Louder! : a guide to finding your voice and changing the world / Asquith, Kate
“”If you want to use words to change the world, keep reading. This book is your guide to making a difference, explore the power (and pitfalls) of language, investigate media bias, spot fake news, and discover different types of activism.” (Catalogue)

Mental health and me / Maldonado, Salvador
“Mental Health and Me brings together seven stories of teenage struggles, from body image issues to drug abuse, as experienced by real-life teenagers. This book will help young people to better understand mental health issues, empathise with those who are struggling and possibly even see their own experiences reflected, making them feel more supported and less alone.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

What the fact / Yasmin, Seema
“Tracing the spread of misinformation and disinformation through our fast-moving media landscape, a journalist, scientist, medical professional, and professor gives readers the skills to identify and counter poorly sourced clickbait and misleading headlines.” (Catalogue)

Fever knights : role-playing game / Ellis, Adam
“You were once a normal, everyday teenager on the verge of adulthood. But after a mystical experience, you developed unusual powers and became something far greater—a protector of humanity and guardian against evil—a Fever Knight! Fever Knights Role-Playing Game transports you into a retro world that never was. This is a place where the 90’s vibes are still alive: from latchkey kids to Super Nintendo gaming, to cassette players and Saturday morning cartoons, and from urban legends to adventures in the woods. Designed for first-time and veteran gamers, this book contains a lightweight ruleset.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

For more new books in the collection, go to: What’s new / February 2024 (wcl.govt.nz)

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… Supergirl

By

On Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

In comics and graphic novels, science fiction, stuff to read, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character or series. This post is all about the Girl of Steel from the planet Krypton, Supergirl!


Who is Supergirl?

Kara Zor-El is the older cousin of Superman, sent from Krypton as a teenager to look after the baby Kal-El once he landed on Earth. However, due to her ship landing decades later, she arrived when Superman was already an adult. Lacking a purpose, Kara struggles to adapt to a planet that is less technologically advanced than Krypton, but this in no way deters her from following Superman’s example as a hero. Gaining superpowers under Earth’s yellow sun, she now protects Metropolis while trying to find a place in her strange new home as Supergirl. 

Note: DC Comics are divided by publishing eras, determined by a point where they set the issue number (and sometimes, continuity) of a series back to #1. ‘Pre-Crisis’ is everything DC published prior to 1986, ‘Post-Crisis’ is everything from 1986-2011, the New 52 from 2011-2016, DC Rebirth from 2016-2021, and Infinite Frontier from 2021 to present.


Supergirl : Origins

The details of Supergirl’s origin have varied over DC’s publishing history, including her civilian identity, when she was discovered on Earth, and even whether she is Kryptonian or not. Her origins have been explored in the story Being Super and the recent World’s Finest series.

Supergirl : being super / Tamaki, Mariko

Batman/Superman : world’s finest. Vol. 2, Strange visitor / Waid, Mark

As for her origins on Krypton, the House of El graphic novel trilogy provides some context for Krypton’s history prior to its destruction.

House of El. Book one, The shadow threat / Gray, Claudia

House of El. Book two, The enemy delusion / Gray, Claudia

House of El. Book three, The treacherous hope / Gray, Claudia

And for stories about Supergirl’s more famous cousin, check out our WCL Guide to Superman!


Pre-Crisis

In the Pre-Crisis timeline, Kara Zor-El landed on Earth and was discovered by Superman, who learned that they were cousins and took her under his wing as Supergirl. In her headline series from this era, Kara moves to Chicago, enrolls in university, and soon gathers a rogues gallery, including her archnemesis, the nuclear-powered Reactron.

Pre-Crisis Supergirl appearances

Daring new adventures of Supergirl. Volume 1 / Kupperberg, Paul

Superman : whatever happened to the man of tomorrow / Moore, Alan


Post-Crisis

In the Post-Crisis era, a new editorial rule at DC meant that Superman had to be the only survivor from Krypton, which presented problems for introducing Supergirl. In this continuity, Supergirl is Linda Danvers, a human teenager who can transform into a superhero with powers similar to Superman.

Supergirl Linda Danvers appearances

Supergirl. Book one / David, Peter

Supergirl. Book two / David, Peter

Superman : Emperor Joker

Convergence : zero hour book 2 / Giffen, Keith


The Last Daughter of Krypton… At Last!

Eventually, Kara Zor-El was reintroduced to Post-Crisis continuity, with her spaceship being discovered at the bottom of the Gotham River. After meeting Superman, Supergirl travels to the future to join the Legion of Super-Heroes, fights a mysterious Superwoman, and sees the birth of a New Krypton and the resurrection of her parents.

Post-Crisis Supergirl appearances

Supergirl : the girl of steel / Loeb, Jeph

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes : the quest for Cosmic Boy / Bedard, Tony

Supergirl : who is Superwoman / Gates, Sterling

Supergirl. Volume 4, Daughter of new Krypton / Gates, Sterling

Supergirl : friends & fugitives / Gates, Sterling

The hunt for Reactron / Gates, Sterling

Supergirl : Bizarrogirl / Gates, Sterling


The New 52

The New 52 reset the histories of most DC characters back to square one, and Supergirl was no exception. Here, Kara is a loner who only occasionally runs into Superman. In her journey to find a home and community, she briefly befriends Superman villain Silver Banshee, joins the rage-powered Red Lantern Corps, and attends the intergalactic Crucible academy.

New 52 Supergirl reading order

Supergirl. Volume 1, Last daughter of Krypton / Green, Michael (also on Libby)

Supergirl. Volume 2, Girl in the world / Green, Michael

Supergirl. Volume 3, Sanctuary / Johnson, Mike

Superman : H’el on Earth / Lobdell, Scott

Supergirl. Volume 4, Out of the past / Nelson, Michael Alan

Supergirl. Volume 5, Red daughter of Krypton / Bedard, Tony

Supergirl. Volume 6, Crucible / Perkins, K.


DC Rebirth

Taking inspiration from the Supergirl TV show, the DC Rebirth era has Supergirl move to Metropolis’ sister city National City, teaming up with the Department of Extranormal Operations to help stem the city’s various alien threats.

Supergirl Rebirth era reading order

Supergirl. Vol. 1, Reign of the cyborg supermen / Orlando, Steve

Supergirl. Vol. 2, Escape from the Phantom Zone / Orlando, Steve

Supergirl. Vol. 3, Girl of no tomorrow / Orlando, Steve

Supergirl. Vol. 4, Plain sight / Orlando, Steve


Supergirl meets the Killer of Krypton

During the reinvigoration of the Superman books by Brian Michael Bendis, Supergirl got a new series that saw Kara setting off on an intergalactic manhunt for the dreaded Rogol Zaar, a Kryptonian-hating alien mercenary with a mysterious connection to Kara’s uncle (and Superman’s father) Jor-El.

‘Bendis era’ Supergirl reading order

The Man of Steel / Bendis, Brian Michael

Supergirl. Vol. 1, The killers of Krypton / Andreyko, Marc

Supergirl. Vol. 2, Sins of the circle / Andreyko, Marc

Supergirl. Vol. 3, Infectious / Houser, Jody

Batman/Superman. Volume 1, Who are the Secret Six / Williamson, Joshua

Superman action comics. Vol. 5, The House of Kent / Bendis, Brian Michael


Infinite Frontier – The Woman of Tomorrow

Supergirl has had one miniseries in the Infinite Frontier era, the acclaimed Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which is set to be adapted into a feature film starring Milly Alcock as Kara. Meanwhile, Kara has helped her cousin protect Earth during the Warworld Saga and the Lazarus Planet event.

Infinite Frontier Supergirl appearances

Supergirl : woman of tomorrow / King, Tom

Superman action comics. Volume one, Warworld rising / Johnson, Phillip Kennedy

Superman Action Comics. Volume three, Warworld revolution / Johnson, Phillip Kennedy

Superman : Kal-El returns / Johnson, Phillip Kennedy

Lazarus Planet


Based on the TV show

The long-running CW Supergirl show starring Melissa Benoist has also been adapted into its own comics, much like The Flash show before it.

Adventures of Supergirl [1] / Gates, Sterling

Crisis on infinite Earths : Paragons rising : the deluxe edition / Wolfman, Marv

Earth-Prime


Supergirl’s Teams

Supergirl has rarely been a team player outside of her immediate Super-Family, having only brief tenures on the Teen Titans, the Legion of Super-Heroes, and the Justice League. In a moment of pique, she was briefly inducted into the Red Lantern Corps, a crimson-themed version of the Green Lanterns who are powered by rage.

Supergirl in the Legion

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes : the quest for Cosmic Boy / Bedard, Tony

Supergirl as a Teen Titan

Teen Titans : Titans of tomorrow

In the Justice League

Justice League United. Volume 1, Justice League Canada / Lemire, Jeff

Justice League United. Volume 2, The infinitus saga / Lemire, Jeff

As a Red Lantern

Red Lanterns. Volume 5, Atrocities / Soule, Charles

Supergirl. Volume 5, Red daughter of Krypton / Bedard, Tony

Team Supergirl

In order to save Superman from cosmic imprisonment in Superman/Batman : vengeance, Bizarro assembles a whole team of Supergirls from across time and space, including the modern Kara Zor-El, Pre-Crisis Kara Zor-El, Linda Danvers, Power Girl (see below), and Cir-El, Superman and Lois’ daughter from a potential future.


Power Girl

Kara Zor-L is Power Girl, the Supergirl from Earth-2 who wound up on the mainstream DC Universe (Earth-0) after the destruction of her Earth. Where Supergirl is eager to adapt to her adopted home, Power Girl bears a chip on her shoulder for having lost both Krypton and her original adopted Earth, manifesting in her brash, ‘punch first and ask questions later’ attitude.

Post-Crisis, Power Girl took on the secret identity of ‘Karen Starr’, and split her time between running a tech start-up and serving on the Justice Society of America.

Black Adam/JSA : black reign / Johns, Geoff

Infinite crisis / Johns, Geoff

Power Girl : power trip / Gray, Justin

Justice Society of America : thy kingdom come. Part two / Johns, Geoff

Justice Society of America : thy kingdom come. Part three / Johns, Geoff

Justice Society of America : Black Adam and Isis / Johns, Geoff

Justice Society of America : the bad seed / Willingham, Bill


Just a Girl in the Worlds’ Finest

In the New 52, a new Earth-2 is created with a new Kara Zor-L, who gets sent to Earth-0 along with Earth-2’s Robin (Helena Wayne, the daughter of Batman). The pair take on the new aliases of Power Girl and Huntress and try to find a way home to Earth-2 in the series Worlds’ Finest.

Worlds’ Finest. Volume 1, The lost daughters of Earth 2 / Levitz, Paul

Worlds’ Finest. Volume 2, Hunt and be hunted / Levitz, Paul

Worlds’ Finest. Volume 3, Control issues / Levitz, Paul

Worlds’ Finest. Volume 4, First contact / Levitz, Paul

Worlds’ finest. Volume 5, Homeward bound / Levitz, Paul

Upon returning to Earth-2, Kara must help her fellow heroes save the world from an invasion from Darkseid, and after the planet is regenerated (a literal ‘Earth 2’) she strikes up a romance with its new Superman, Val-Zod.

Earth 2 : world’s end. Volume 1 / Wilson, Daniel H.

Earth 2 : world’s end. Volume 2 / Wilson, Daniel H.

Earth 2 society. Volume 1, Planetfall / Wilson, Daniel H.

Earth 2 : society. Volume 2, Indivisible / Abnett, Dan

Earth 2 : society. Volume 3, A whole new world / Abnett, Dan


Power Girl Returns

The Post-Crisis Power Girl eventually returns in Infinite Frontier. After burning out of the corporate grindset as a member of an ‘Uber but for superheroes’ service in One-Star Squadron, she gains new telepathic powers in the Lazarus Planet event and befriends a fellow psychic, former Teen Titan Omen.

Infinite frontier / Williamson, Joshua

One-star squadron / Russell, Mark

Lazarus Planet

Power Girl returns / Williams, Leah


Supergirl Across The Multiverse

Power Girl isn’t the only alternate Supergirl out there in the infinite Multiverse of DC Comics.

Crime Syndicate / Schmidt, Andy – On Earth-3 where the roles of heroes and villains are reversed, a treacherous Ultragirl tries to take out her cousin, Ultraman. This world also has a Superwoman, although technically she is the evil equivalent of Wonder Woman.

Multiversity : teen justice / Cohen, Ivan – On the matriarchal world of Earth-11, Supergirl is the daughter of Superwoman and fights alongside the young super-team Teen Justice.

Kingdom come / Waid, Mark – In a possible future, an older Karen Starr (now Power Woman) joins a new Justice League, led by an older Superman trying to bring order to a world full of unruly metahumans.

Supergirl adventures : girl of steel – In the world of the DC Animated Universe, Supergirl is Kara In-Ze from Argo, a ‘sister planet’ to Krypton that was also devastated. Discovered in cryogenic stasis by Superman, Kara is brought to Earth, where she becomes gains powers similar to her ‘cousin’ and becomes Supergirl.

Injustice 2. Vol. 1 / Taylor, Tom – The Injustice universe’s version of Supergirl first appears in its sequel comic, where she arrives on Earth not knowing her cousin has taken over the world.

Ame-Comi Girls. Volume 3, Earth in crisis / Palmiotti, Jimmy – Both Supergirl and Power Girl appear on this manga-inspired world where only women gain superpowers.

DC Comics Bombshells : the deluxe edition, Book one / Bennett, Marguerite – Here, Kara’s ship lands in Soviet Russia instead of the USA. When she comes of age in the midst of World War II, she defects and joins a team of heroines determined to end the conflict.

Dark Knights of Steel. Vol. 1 / Taylor, Tom – Transporting the heroes of the DC Universe into a medieval world of knights and nobility, the Supergirl here is Zala Jor-El, the princess of the ruling family, the House of El.

Supergirl : cosmic adventures in the 8th grade / Walker, Landry Q. – In this cartoon-influenced series, a young Kryptonian named Linda Lee struggles to balance schoolwork with being Supergirl.

Pratchett, Patriarchy and the Past: New Teen Books in the Collection

By

On Wednesday, 7 February, 2024

In comics and graphic novels, horror and spooky stuff, mysteries & whodunnits, non-fiction, realistic fiction, science fiction, stuff to read

If you’re looking for something fresh and new to read right now, we have got you covered.  From historical fiction, murder mysteries and romance to feminist comics, ghost stories and putting your best foot forward online, and many, many more, there is sure to be something to pique your interest.

Fiction

I’ll tell you no lies / McCrina, Amanda
“New York, 1955. Shelby Blaine and her father, an Air Force intelligence officer, are wrenched away from their life in West Germany to New York’s Griffiss Air Force Base, where he has been summoned to lead the interrogation of an escaped Soviet pilot. A chance meeting with Maksym, the would-be defector, spirals into a deadly entanglement. The more Shelby learns of Maksym’s secrets, including his detention at Auschwitz during the war, the more she becomes willing to help him. But as the stakes become more dangerous, Shelby begins to question everything she has been told.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Let’s play murder / Lupo, Kesia
“Veronica wakes up trapped with four strangers in a sprawling manor house in a snow storm with a dead body, a mystery right out of an Agatha Christie novel. It feels so real but it isn’t. This is VR and this is THE Game; a rumoured Easter Egg hidden in other VR games that draws you into a competition for a prize beyond your wildest dreams. And there’s no escaping the VR world until the Game is won. It may not be a game Veronica wanted to play, but it’s one that she has to win or die trying.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

A thousand boy kisses : a novel / Cole, Tillie
“When seventeen-year-old Rune Kristiansen returns from his native Norway to the sleepy town of Blossom Grove, Georgia, where he befriended Poppy Litchfield as a child, he has just one thing on his mind. Why did the girl who was one half of his soul, who promised to wait faithfully for his return, cut him off without a word of explanation? Rune’s heart was broken two years ago when Poppy fell silent. But when he discovers the truth of her absence, he finds that the greatest heartache is yet to come.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

What happened on Hicks Road / Jayne, Hannah
“Lennox Oliver is loving her new life in California. For the first time, she feels normal. She has friends, and a maybe boyfriend and best of all no one knows the truth about her past and what happened to her mom. But everything changes the night after a party when a drive on the supposedly haunted Hicks Road turns deadly and Lennox hits something…or someone. Her friends say it was nothing, at worst, a deer in the road. But when a note saying FIND ME is slipped through her window, she fears that there was a girl she hit on Hicks Road that night …or she’s slipping deeper into the illness that took her mother.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Comics

Smash the patriarchy / Breen, Marta
“Patriarchy means ‘the rule of the father’ and describes a system where men are in control. At least since the time of Aristotle, loud-mouthed men have called women weak and inferior. The book is not afraid to examine some of the worst crimes – public shaming, medical examinations, and the widespread murder and jailing of feminists around the world – as it calls on readers to finally smash the patriarchy forever.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Festival of shadows : a Japanese ghost story / Atelier Sentō (Firm)
“Every summer, in an isolated Japanese village, a celebration known as the Festival of Shadows takes place. The villagers are entrusted to assist the troubled souls or “shadows” of those who died tragically, and to help them come to terms with their deaths and find eternal peace. Naoko, a young girl born in the village, is given a year to save the soul of a mysterious young man. Naoko puts her own life on the line to save the soul of this man she loves, in an exciting, moving and beautifully drawn story that takes the reader on a journey from the beautiful Japanese countryside to glamorous Tokyo art world.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Courage to dream : tales of hope in the Holocaust / Shusterman, Neal
“Courage to Dream plunges readers into the darkest time of human history – the Holocaust. This graphic novel explores one of the greatest atrocities in modern memory, delving into the core of what it means to face the extinction of everything and everyone you hold dear. Woven from Jewish folklore and cultural history, five interlocking narratives explore one common story – the tradition of resistance and uplift.” (Catalogue)

One in a million / Lordon, Claire
“Something is wrong with Claire, but she doesn’t know what. Nobody does, not even her doctors. All she wants is to return to her happy and athletic teenage self. But her accumulating symptoms – chronic fatigue, pounding headaches, weight gain – hint that there’s something not right inside Claire’s body. But even in her most difficult moments battling chronic illness, Claire manages to find solace in her family, her closest friends, and her art. A deeply personal and visually arresting memoir that draws on the author’s high school diaries and drawings, One in a Million is also a sophisticated portrayal of pain, depression, and fear that any teen or adult can relate to.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Non-Fiction

Tiffany Aching’s guide to being a witch / Pratchett, Rhianna
“An illustrated and practical guide to being a witch in Discworld, covering everything you’ve ever wanted to know from telling the bees to magical cheese, from working with other witches to dealing with elves, from tending flocks to fending off forces from other worlds. This beautiful and practical guide has been compiled by Tiffany Aching herself, including snippets of remembered wisdom from Granny Aching alongside notes from Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, Miss Tick, and Rob Anybody who offer their own unique perspectives on all things witchcraft.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Clicks : how to be your best self online / Devon, Natasha
“When young people step into the digital world and are bombarded with ‘hot takes’, calls to cancel ‘problematic’ individuals, trolls, fake news and celebrity sales pitches they’re likely to find it overwhelming and confusing. This book wants to change that. It will teach young people how to: – Understand the psychological effects of social media on their minds, including internet pornography – See and evaluate all sides of an argument – Spot fake news – Explain their ‘take’ persuasively – Use the internet to campaign for a fairer world – Get the most out of their online role models – Show allyship to marginalised groups.” (Catalogue)

For more new books in the collection, go to: What’s new / February 2024 (wcl.govt.nz)

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… Venom and Carnage

By

On Wednesday, 10 January, 2024

In comics and graphic novels, horror and spooky stuff, stuff to read, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character. This post is all about those two gruesome toothsome puddles of alien goo, Venom and Carnage!

(GIFs via Giphy)


Who is Venom?

Venom is a ‘symbiote’, a race of alien creatures that parasitically bond to other beings to survive. When one of these symbiotes bonded to Spider-Man and was rejected, it found its way to disgruntled reporter Eddie Brock, who had a vendetta against Spider-Man. Eddie and the symbiote formed a partnership over their mutual hatred of the Wall-Crawler, transforming into a hulking ink-black monstrosity – Venom.

In addition to granting its wearer increased strength, durability, and the power to shapeshift and manifest weapons out of its body, the symbiote also replicated all of Peter’s powers and memories. Due to its previous bond with Peter, Venom also cannot trigger Spidey’s danger-alerting ‘Spider-Sense’, which makes Venom one of Spider-Man’s deadliest villains. Fortunately, the symbiote’s biology makes Venom weak to high-pitched sounds and extreme heat, a vulnerability that Spider-Man can always exploit.

Over the years, Venom has also spawned new symbiotes, including the maniacal Carnage, the quintuplet Life Foundation symbiotes (Riot, Lasher, Phage, Scream, and Agony), the inverted copy Anti-Venom, and the good-natured Sleeper.


Symbiote Spider-Man

Spider-Man first gained the symbiote in the original Secret Wars, where he thought it was just an all-black version of his costume. While Peter initially embraced the symbiote, over time it began to amplify his negative emotions and control him against his will, leading Peter to reject it.

Black Suit Spider-Man appearances

Secret wars / Shooter, Jim

Symbiote Spider-Man / David, Peter

Symbiote Spider-Man : crossroads / David, Peter

Symbiote Spider-Man : king in black / David, Peter

Spider-Man has rejoined with the symbiote on occasion, such as when he fought a Carnage-powered Green Goblin, or when a Doc Ock-possessed Peter (see ‘Superior Spider-Man’ in our Spider-Verse blog) tried the symbiote on for size as the Superior Venom. Some What If? stories explore what would have happened if Peter had kept the symbiote permanently, like the recent miniseries Spider’s Shadow.

The amazing Spider-Man : Red Goblin / Slott, Dan

The Superior Spider-Man. 5, Superior Venom / Slott, Dan

Spider-Man : Spider’s shadow / Zdarsky, Chip


Venom: Lethal Protector

Venom initially tried to be a hero, calling himself a ‘Lethal Protector’ following a simplistic eye-for-an-eye morality. During this period, Venom moved to San Franciso and was later captured by the Life Foundation, who forced him to create his first five offspring.

‘Lethal Protector’ era Venom reading order

Venom: Lethal Protector (only on Libby)

Venom : lethal protector : heart of the hunted / Michelinie, David

Venom : planet of the symbiotes / Michelinie, David

Spider-Man : maximum Carnage

Venom : the complete collection / Way, Daniel


Mac Gargan as Venom

Eddie would eventually lose the symbiote, and Mac Gargan (the Spider-Man villain know as the Scorpion) became its new partner. As Venom, Gargan worked with the Thunderbolts, and using the suit’s ability to shapeshift, passed himself off as Spider-Man on Norman Osborn’s ‘Dark Avengers’.

Mac Gargan as Venom appearances

Thunderbolts : caged animals / Ellis, Warren

Thunderbolts : secret invasion / Gage, Christos

Mac Gargan as ‘Spider-Man’ appearances

Dark Avengers (only on Libby)

Dark X-Men / Cornell, Paul

Siege : Mighty Avengers / Slott, Dan

Siege : battlefield


Anti-Venom

Remnants of the symbiote in Eddie fuse with his white blood cells to create Anti-Venom, a symbiote with none of Venom’s weaknesses and no mind of its own. Anti-Venom is harmful to other symbiotes and has the ability to cure any disease or ailment, leading Brock to gain a messiah complex over his newfound power to heal.

Anti-Venom appearances

The amazing Spider-Man : the return of Anti-Venom

Amazing Spider-Man : Venom Inc / Slott, Dan (also on Libby)

Black Cat [4] : queen in black / MacKay, Jed


Agent Venom

The Venom symbiote is captured by the US government and given to Flash Thompson, a military veteran and Peter Parker’s former classmate. Flash uses the symbiote’s abilities as ‘Agent Venom‘, a covert operative performing secret missions for the Army and working alongside the Secret Avengers and General Ross’ Thunderbolts.

Agent Venom appearances

Venom [1] / Remender, Rick (also on Libby)

Venom : the complete collection. Volume 2 / Remender, Rick

Venom : the land where killers dwell / Bunn, Cullen

Agent Venom teams

Secret Avengers. [Vol. 1] / Remender, Rick

Secret Avengers [3] / Remender, Rick

Thunderbolts. Volume 1, No quarter / Way, Daniel

Thunderbolts. Volume 2, Red scare / Way, Daniel

Thunderbolts. Volume 3, Infinity / Soule, Charles

Thunderbolts. Volume 5, Punisher vs. the Thunderbolts / Acker, Ben


Venom: Spaceknight

Agent Venom later joins the Guardians of the Galaxy as their Avengers envoy (see our blog on Guardians of the Galaxy for more on this series). Here, Flash changes his symbiote form to an armored-plated look as Venom: Spaceknight.

Venom, space knight [1] : agent of the cosmos / Thompson, Robbie

Venom, space knight [2] : enemies and allies / Thompson, Robbie


Back to Brock

The symbiote eventually returns from space and is bounced between different hosts: the veteran-turned-criminal Lee Price and Venom’s original host, Eddie Brock. After settling on Brock once more (and leaving Flash with a new Anti-Venom suit to compensate), Venom spawns another symbiote, the benevolent Sleeper.

Venom. Volume 1, Homecoming / Costa, Mike

Venom [2] : the land before crime / Costa, Mike

Venom : lethal protector. Vol. 3, Blood in the water / Costa, Mike

Amazing Spider-Man : Venom Inc / Slott, Dan (also on Libby)

Venom. Vol. 4, The nativity / Costa, Mike

Venom. First host / Costa, Mike


Venom: The King in Black

Donny Cates’ run on Venom deepens the mythology of the symbiotes, expanding on what exactly they are as a species and their role in the Marvel Universe. In this series, Eddie discovers he has a long-lost son named Dylan, fights a vastly more powerful Carnage, and confronts the mind-controlling ‘King in Black’, the god of all symbiotes.

Donny Cates Venom reading order

Venom. Vol. 1, Rex / Cates, Donny (also on Libby)

Venom. Vol. 2, The abyss / Cates, Donny (also on Libby)

These first two volumes are also collected as Venom. Vol. 1 / Cates, Donny

The war of the realms : Venom / Bunn, Cullen

Absolute Carnage / Cates, Donny

Venom. Vol. 3, Absolute Carnage / Cates, Donny (also on Libby)

Venom. Vol. 4, Venom Island / Cates, Donny (also on Libby)

Venom. Vol. 5, Venom beyond / Cates, Donny

Venom [6] : king in black / Cates, Donny

The ‘King in Black‘ storyline is continued in these spin-offs.

King in black : planet of the symbiotes / Chapman, Clay McLeod

King in black : thunderbolts / Rosenberg, Matthew

King in black : return of the Valkyries / Aaron, Jason

Spider-Woman. Vol. 2, King in black / Pacheco, Karla

King in black : Avengers / Thorne, Geoffrey

Savage Avengers. Vol. 4, King in black / Duggan, Gerry

Symbiote Spider-Man : king in black / David, Peter

King in black : Gwenom vs. Carnage / McGuire, Seanan

King in black : Namor / Busiek, Kurt

The Guardians of the Galaxy [2] : “Here we make our stand” / Ewing, Al


Venom and Son

In the current Venom series, Eddie ascends to becoming the new King in Black, discovering the extraordinary (and time-bendingly weird) extent of his new role. Meanwhile, on Earth, Eddie’s son Dylan becomes the new Venom and must confront a violent new symbiote named Bedlam, who has mysterious ties to his father.

Current Venom reading order

Venom. Vol. 1, Recursion / Ewing, Al

Venom [2] : deviation / Ewing, Al

Dark Web / Wells, Zeb

Venom [3] : dark web / V, Ram

Venom [4] : Illumination / Ewing, Al

Venom [5] : predestination / Ewing, Al


Across the Venomverse

Did you know that Venom had his own Spider-Verse? Across the multiverse, Venom has bonded to all sorts of other Marvel heroes, including Captain America, Rocket Raccoon, Black Panther, and Deadpool. In Venomverse and its sequel Venomised, Eddie Brock teams up with these Venom variants to fight the Poisons, an interdimensional hyperparasite race that feed on symbiotes.

Venomverse / Bunn, Cullen

Venomized / Bunn, Cullen

Extreme Venomverse

Death of the Venomverse / Bunn, Cullen

Ultimate Venom

In Ultimate Marvel (Earth-1610), Venom is not an alien, but a lab-grown organism created by Peter Parker and Eddie Brock’s parents. As in the original continuity, Venom bonds to Peter and then Eddie, and later spawns Carnage, which here bonds to Gwen Stacy. When Miles Morales becomes Spider-Man, he fights a deadlier, improved version of this Venom.

Ultimate Venom appearances

Ultimate Spider-Man : war of the symbiotes / Bendis, Brian Michael

Miles Morales : with great power / Bendis, Brian Michael

“Gwenom”

The symbiote appears in Spider-Gwen’s universe (Earth-65), also created as a lab-grown experiment. This Venom bonds to Gwen, creating the combo of ‘Gwenom’.

Gwenom appearances

Spider-Gwen. Vol. 4, Predators / Latour, Jason

Spider-Gwen. Vol. 5, Gwenom / Latour, Jason

King in black : Gwenom vs. Carnage / McGuire, Seanan

Renew Your Venoms

In the Renew Your Vows timeline (Earth-18119) where Peter and his family fight crime together, Mary Jane bonds with Venom to keep up with her super-powered husband and daughter.

The Amazing Spider-Man : renew your vows [2] : the Venom experiment / Conway, Gerry

The End of Venom

The miniseries The End imagines possible futures for Marvel’s heroes and villains. In Venom’s case, the symbiote comes into conflict with an artificial intelligence, starting a war that extends for over a trillion years.

The end / Larsen, Erik


Who is Carnage?

Carnage is Venom’s first offspring, created when Eddie Brock was sharing a prison cell with serial killer Cletus Kasady. The spawn of Venom bonded to Kasady and they became Carnage, a maniacal, all-red symbiote with an insatiable bloodlust.

Early Carnage appearances

Spider-Man : maximum Carnage

Superior Carnage / Shinick, Kevin

Deadpool vs Carnage / Bunn, Cullen


Carnage off his AXIS

In the crossover series AXIS, a magic spell causes the Avengers, X-Men and their villains to have their moralities inverted, causing the heroes to turn bad and the villains to turn good. Here, Carnage grows a conscience for the first time but is unsure how to use it, turning him good but without a stable guide on how to do good.

Carnage in AXIS appearances

Avengers/X-Men : Axis / Remender, Rick

Axis : Carnage & Hobgoblin / Spears, Rick

Nova [5] : axis / Duggan, Gerry

Later reverting to his evil ways, Carnage is hunted by a police task force, before being captured and bonded to Norman Osborn to become the Red Goblin.

Carnage [3] : what dwells beneath / Conway, Gerry

The amazing Spider-Man : Red Goblin / Slott, Dan


Absolute Carnage

Over the years, Carnage has grown a god complex, and continues to evolve in his quest for universal omnicide. In Absolute Carnage, he learns he can gain power by absorbing the DNA of former symbiote hosts (by force, naturally) and begins hunting them down, putting him in the path of Venom and Spider-Man.

Absolute Carnage / Cates, Donny

The amazing Spider-Man : absolute Carnage

Venom. Vol. 3, Absolute Carnage / Cates, Donny (also on Libby)

The Absolute Carnage storyline is continued in these spin-offs.

Absolute Carnage vs. Deadpool / Tieri, Frank

Absolute Carnage : Miles Morales / Ahmed, Saladin

Absolute Carnage : Scream / Bunn, Cullen

Absolute Carnage : lethal protectors / Tieri, Frank

Absolute Carnage : the immortal Hulk and other tales / Ewing, Al


Extreme Carnage

Seemingly defeated after Eddie becomes the King in Black, the Carnage symbiote begins another campaign of death by hunting down various Spider-Man villains, like Hydro-Man and The Spot, and stealing their powers. This culminates in him gaining the ability to travel across the multiverse and becoming the villain of the most recent Venomverse series.

Extreme Carnage / Johnson, Phillip Kennedy

Carnage : black, white & blood

Carnage. Vol. 1, In the court of crimson / V, Ram

Carnage in hell / V, Ram

Carnage reigns / Ziglar, Cody

Death of the Venomverse / Bunn, Cullen


Red Goblin

Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, once fused with Carnage to become the Red Goblin, using his new symbiote powers to stage an all-out assault on the Spider-Man family and forcing Peter to bond with Venom once more to face him. Later on, Osborn’s grandson Normie bonded with a symbiote named Rascal to become a new Red Goblin, becoming an ally to the current Venom, Dylan Brock.

Red Goblin appearances

The amazing Spider-Man : Red Goblin / Slott, Dan

Venom [3] : dark web / V, Ram

Red Goblin [1] : it runs in the family / Paknadel, Alex

Red Goblin. Vol. 2, Nature/nurture / Paknadel, Alex

Cult of carnage : misery / Pirzada, Sabir


Ravencroft

When not raising havoc, Carnage is incarcerated in Ravencroft, an asylum for the criminally insane. Other famous inmates include Carnage’s girlfriend Shriek, the imperfect Spider-Man clone Doppelganger, Wolverine’s nemesis Sabertooth, and even Dracula.

Ravencroft appearances

Spider-Man : maximum Carnage

Ravencroft / Tieri, Frank

Ruins of Ravencroft / Tieri, Frank


Other Symbiotes

Both Venom and Carnage have spawned new symbiotes over the years, growing a deadly family tree that continues to wreak havoc over the Marvel Universe.

Life Foundation symbiotes

The five Life Foundation symbiotes (the brute Riot, the tendril-coated Lasher, the spiky Phage, the prehensile-haired Scream, and acidic Agony) have only appeared sporadically since their creation, usually as foot soldiers for bigger villains.

Life Foundation symbiote appearances

Venom: Lethal Protector (only on Libby)

Deadpool vs Carnage / Bunn, Cullen

Venom. Vol. 3, Absolute Carnage / Cates, Donny

Extreme Carnage / Johnson, Phillip Kennedy

Scream has a few spin-off titles of her own, mostly tying into Carnage-related storylines.

Absolute Carnage : Scream / Bunn, Cullen

Scream. Vol. 1, Curse of Carnage / Chapman, Clay McLeod

Agony and her current host Gemma Shin were members of Wilson Fisk’s Thunderbolts, serving as his enforcers during the Kingpin’s time as mayor of New York City. Later, she is offered redemption as a part of Daredevil and Elektra’s new team, The Fist.

Devil’s reign / Zdarsky, Chip

Devil’s reign : villains for hire / Chapman, Clay McLeod

Daredevil & Elektra. Vol. 1, The Red Fist saga / Zdarsky, Chip

Daredevil & Elektra [2] : the Red Fist saga. Part two / Zdarsky, Chip

The Life Foundation symbiotes eventually wound up at chemical corporation Alchemax (future workplace of Miguel O’Hara, the Spider-Man of 2099), before shortly being stolen. To track them down, Alchemax owner Liz Allan (a former classmate of Peter Parker) bonds with a symbiote fusion of Carnage and Anti-Venom, becoming Misery.

Cult of carnage : misery / Pirzada, Sabir


Toxin

Toxin is Carnage’s first offspring (and by extension, Venom’s grandchild). As the 1000th of his line, Toxin is stronger than both his parent and grandparent and more resistant to their weaknesses. Fortunately, Toxin is also the most benevolent of his family, with a strong dislike of other symbiotes.

Toxin appearances

Venom : the complete collection. Volume 2 / Remender, Rick

King in black : planet of the symbiotes / Chapman, Clay McLeod

Extreme Carnage / Johnson, Phillip Kennedy


Sleeper

Sleeper is Venom’s most recent offspring, and very protective of his ‘brother’, Eddie’s son Dylan. Like Toxin, Sleeper is a more benevolent symbiote, but is more secretive than his brethren, preferring to possess hosts without their knowledge. Sleeper also has the unique ability to generate chemical compounds from his body, such as mind-altering pheromones and corrosive acids.

Sleeper appearances

Venom. Vol. 4, The nativity / Costa, Mike

Venom. First host / Costa, Mike

Venom. Vol. 3, Absolute Carnage / Cates, Donny

Venom. Vol. 4, Venom Island / Cates, Donny (also on Libby)

Extreme Carnage / Johnson, Phillip Kennedy

Venom. Vol. 1, Recursion / Ewing, Al

Venom [2] : deviation / Ewing, Al

Love, Libraries and Lives Lost – New Teen Books in the Collection

By

On Friday, 29 December, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, dystopia, fantasy, horror and spooky stuff, new stuff (ooh, shiny!), non-fiction, realistic fiction, science fiction, stuff to read

Do you need something fresh to read over the school holidays?  We’ve got a great selection of new books rolling into our collection this month as always.  We’ve selected a handful below to get you started!

Comics

Mall Goth / Leth, Kate
“Liv Holme is not exactly thrilled to be moving to a new town with her mother. After all, high school can be brutal, even more so when you’re a fifteen-year-old, bisexual goth. But Liv is determined to be who she is, bullies or not. Thankfully, she’s found the perfect escape: the mall. Under its fluorescent lights, Liv feels far away from her parents’ strained marriage and the peers who don’t understand her. Amid the bright storefronts, food court smell, and anonymous shoppers, Liv is safely one of the crowd and can enjoy the feeling of calling the shots in her own life for once.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The infinity particle / Xu, Wendy
“Clementine Chang moves from Earth to Mars for a new start and is lucky enough to land her dream job with Dr. Marcella Lin, an Artificial Intelligence pioneer. On her first day of work, Clem meets Dr. Lin’s assistant, a humanoid AI named Kye. Clem is no stranger to robots–she built herself a cute moth-shaped companion named SENA. Still, there’s something about Kye that feels almost too human. When Clem and Kye begin to collaborate, their chemistry sets off sparks. The only downside? Dr. Lin is enraged by Kye’s growing independence and won’t allow him more freedom. Plus, their relationship throws into question everything Clem thought she knew about AI. After all, if Kye is sentient enough to have feelings, shouldn’t he be able to control his own actions? Where is the line between AI and human?” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Yaqui Delgado wants to kick your ass : the graphic novel / Vargas, Mel Valentine
“It’s the beginning of sophomore year, and Piedad “Piddy” Sanchez is having a hard time adjusting to her new high school. Things don’t get any easier when Piddy learns that Yaqui Delgado hates her and wants to kick her ass. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off from those who care about her – or running away? (Adapted from Catalogue)

Fiction

Divine rivals : a novel / Ross, Rebecca
“After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again… All eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow wants to do is hold her family together. With a brother on the frontline forced to fight on behalf of the Gods now missing from the frontline and a mother drowning her sorrows, Iris’s best bet is winning the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette. But when Iris’s letters to her brother fall into the wrong hands – that of the handsome but cold Roman Kitt, her rival at the paper – an unlikely magical connection forms. Expelled into the middle of a mystical war, magical typewriters in tow, can their bond withstand the fight for the fate of mankind and, most importantly, love?” (Catalogue)

Also available as an eAudiobook, and an eBook on both Libby and Borrowbox.

Ryan and Avery / Levithan, David
“When Ryan and Avery met at a queer prom, they felt an instant connection. This is the story of their first 10 dates: the tender hopes, the skittish fears, the difficulty of introducing someone into your pre-existing life. There is always the possibility of heartbreak– and the chance that maybe, just maybe, you’ve found the right person to love.” (Catalogue)

Where he can’t find you / Coates, Darcy
“Abby Ward lives in a town haunted by disappearances. People vanish, and when they’re found, their bodies have been dismembered and sewn back together in unnatural ways. But is it the work of a human killer . . . or something far darker? She and her younger sister live by a strict set of rules designed to keep them safe–which is why it’s such a shock when Hope is taken. With every hour precious, Abby and her friends are caught in a desperate game of cat and mouse. They have to get Hope back. Quickly. Before too much of her is cut away. And before everything they care about is swallowed up by the darkness waiting in the tunnels beneath the home they thought they knew.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

What stalks among us / Hollowell, Sarah
“The last thing they expect to come across is a giant, abandoned corn maze. But with a whole day of playing hooky unspooling before them, they make their second mistake. Or perhaps their third? Maybe even their fourth. Because Sadie and Logan have definitely entered this maze before. And again before that. They quickly realize they’ve not only entered this maze before, they’ve died in it too. A lot…” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The space between here & now / Suk, Sarah
“Seventeen-year-old Aimee Roh has Sensory Time Warp Syndrome, a rare condition that causes her to time travel to a moment in her life when she smells something linked to that memory. Her dad is convinced she’ll simply grow out of it if she tries hard enough, but Aimee’s fear of vanishing at random has kept her from living a normal life. Desperate for answers, Aimee travels to Korea, where she unravels the mystery of her memories, the truth about her mother, and the reason she keeps returning to certain moments in her life.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The library of broken worlds / Johnson, Alaya Dawn
“In the winding underground tunnels of the Library, the great celestial peacekeeper of the three systems, a terrible secret lies buried. The daughter of a Library god, Freida has spent her whole life exploring the Library’s ever-changing tunnels and communing with the gods. When she meets Joshua, a mortal boy desperate to save his people, and Nergüi, a Disciple from a persecuted religious minority, Freida is compelled to break ranks with the gods and help them. To do so she will have to venture deeper into the Library– and she discovers the atrocities of the past, the truth of her origins, and the impossibility of her future.” (Catalogue)

Non-Fiction

Lads : a guide to respect and consent – step up, speak out and create positive change / Bissett, Alan
“In a world full of negative influences, LADS is a toolkit for teenage boys on respect and consent, helping them call out bad behaviour and giving them the confidence to be their best selves. Have you ever been in a situation where there’s a loud guy making dodgy comments, cracking jokes that only he thinks are funny or leering at the girls in the room? You can feel the tension, right? That Guy is the worst, but no one is saying anything, because the whole situation is intimidating and awkward. This toolkit will help you call out bad behaviour and understand the serious issues facing girls today. And it will make you feel confident navigating relationships, so that everyone feels happy, heard and respected, while being the best version of yourself.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

For more new books in the catalogue, go to: What’s new / December 2023 (wcl.govt.nz)

Memoirs, Mysteries, Memes and Murder: New Books for Teens in the Collection

By

On Wednesday, 6 December, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, fantasy, horror and spooky stuff, mysteries & whodunnits, new stuff (ooh, shiny!), non-fiction, stuff to read

Those summer holidays are going to be here soon, and it’s the perfect time to get stuck into some new books.  I mean, have you considered the Summer Reading Adventure yet?  We have a fresh crop of new books to add to your reading list, whether your into comics, fiction or non-fiction… or maybe all three?

Comics

Mexikid : a graphic memoir / Martin, Pedro
“Pedro Martin’s grown up in the U.S. hearing stories about his legendary abuelito, but during a family road trip to Mexico, he connects with his grandfather and learns more about his own Mexican identity in this moving and hilarious graphic memoir.” (Catalogue)

The Calvin and Hobbes portable compendium. Book 1 / Watterson, Bill
“Calvin and Hobbes is unquestionably one of the most popular comic strips of all time. The imaginative world of a boy and his real-only-to-him tiger first appeared in 1985 and could be read in more than 2,400 newspapers when Bill Watterson retired on January 1, 1996.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

All the lovely bad ones : a ghost story graphic novel / Peterson, Scott
“Travis and his sister, Corey, can’t resist a good trick. When they learn that their grandmother’s quiet Vermont inn, where they’re spending the summer, has a history of ghost sightings, they decide to do a little ‘haunting’ of their own. Before long, their supernatural pranks have tourists flocking to Fox Hill Inn, and business booms. But Travis and Corey soon find out that theirs aren’t the only ghosts at Fox Hill. Their thoughtless games have awakened something dangerous, something that should have stayed asleep. Can these siblings lay to rest the troubled spirits they’ve disturbed?” (Catalogue)

Fiction

Broken hearts and zombie parts / Hussey, William
“A savagely funny gay YA romance about body image, self-acceptance and falling in love. Jesse Spark has a broken heart and in a few short weeks he’ll require major surgery to repair it – which means he only has a month to accomplish two almost-impossible tasks. 1) Shoot his epic zombie movie on a shoestring budget if he has any hope of getting into film school. 2) Fall in love before this surgery lands him with a huge scar – because how will anyone ever fancy him after that?” (Catalogue)

How to find a missing girl / Wlosok, Victoria
“Seventeen-year-old amateur sleuth Iris and her sapphic detective agency investigate the disappearance of Iris’s cheerleader ex-girlfriend, who also happens to be the creator of a notorious true-crime podcast about Iris’s missing older sister.” (Catalogue)

The scarlet veil / Mahurin, Shelby
“Six months have passed since Célie took her sacred vows and joined the ranks of the Chasseurs as their first huntswoman. With her fiancé, Jean Luc, as captain, she is determined to find her foothold in her new role and help protect Belterra. But whispers from her past still haunt her, and a new evil is rising–one that Célie herself must vanquish, unless she falls prey to the darkness.” (Catalogue)

09If you tell anyone, you’re next / Heath, Jack
“Jayden Jones is missing. Everyone thinks he ran away. His best friend, Zoe Ross, knows they’re wrong. Zoe’s search leads her to the 17-a secret group chat, used by anonymous teens to blackmail the powerless. To join, you have to put on a mask and record yourself completing a challenge. The challenges are always illegal. Sometimes dangerous. Maybe deadly. Who are the 17? What have they done to Jayden? And what will they do to silence Zoe?” (Catalogue)

Non-Fiction

Accountable : the true story of a racist social media account and the teenagers whose lives it changed / Slater, Dashka
“When a high school student started a private Instagram account that used racist and sexist memes to make his friends laugh, he thought of it as “edgy” humor. Over time, the edge got sharper. Then a few other kids found out about the account. Pretty soon, everyone knew. Ultimately no one in the small town of Albany, California, was safe from the repercussions of the account’s discovery. Not the girls targeted by the posts. Not the boy who created the account. Not the group of kids who followed it. Not the adults–educators and parents–whose attempts to fix things too often made them worse. In the end, no one was laughing. And everyone was left asking: Where does accountability end for online speech that harms? And what does accountability even mean?” (Catalogue)

Video game of the year : a year-by-year guide to the best, boldest, and most bizarre games from every year since 1977 / Minor, Jordan
“For each of the 40 years of video game history, there is a defining game, a game that captured the zeitgeist and left a legacy for all games that followed. Through a series of entertaining, informative, and opinionated critical essays, author and tech journalist Jordan Minor investigates, in chronological order, the innovative, genre-bending, and earth-shattering games from 1977 through 2022. Minor explores development stories, critical reception, and legacy, and also looks at how gaming intersects with and eventually influences society at large while reveling in how uniquely and delightfully bizarre even the most famous games tend to be”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

For more new books for teens in the collection, go to: https://wcl.govt.nz/whatsnew/#teens

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… The Marvels

By

On Sunday, 3 December, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, eLibrary, stuff to read, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character or series. This post is all about the cosmic-powered ladies who go higher, further, faster: Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan – The Marvels!

The Marvels Fight GIF - The marvels Fight Iman vellani - Discover & Share GIFs

(GIF via Tenor)


Who is Carol Danvers?

Carol Danvers is a US Air Force pilot who was exposed to an alien weapon that belonged to the militaristic Kree Empire. Gaining extraordinary powers of super-strength, flight, energy manipulation and energy absorption, Carol became a superhero. Currently bearing the title of Captain Marvel, she protects the Earth from intergalactic threats.


Carol as Ms. Marvel

Before Carol became Captain Marvel, she was Ms. Marvel, the distaff counterpart to the Kree warrior Mar-Vell, the first Captain Marvel. Carol was a steadfast member of the Avengers during this time, joining on the pro-registration side of the superhero Civil War, fighting against the Skrulls in the Secret Invasion, and opposing the X-Men alongside the entire Avengers roster in Avengers vs X-Men.

Carol as Ms. Marvel appearances

Ms. Marvel : this woman, this warrior. Volume 1, 1977-1978 / Claremont, Chris

The Avengers : the Kang Dynasty / Busiek, Kurt

Civil war : Ms. Marvel / Reed, Brian

Captain Marvel : Carol Danvers : the Ms. Marvel years. Vol. 2 / Reed, Brian

Captain Marvel : Carol Danvers : the Ms. Marvel years. Vol. 3 / Reed, Brian

Ms. Marvel on the Avengers

Avengers Disassembled (only on Libby)

House of M / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

New Avengers: Volume 4 (only on Libby)

Civil war / Millar, Mark (also on Libby)

The Mighty Avengers : Venom bomb / Bendis, Brian Michael

Secret invasion / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

Siege : battlefield

Avengers vs. X-Men (also available in Te Reo, where Ms. Marvel is called Hinemīharo)


Carol as Captain Marvel

After going by Ms. Marvel, Binary, and Warbird, Carol took up the mantle of Captain Marvel. Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Pretty Deadly) and getting a slick new costume courtesy of artist Jamie McKelvie (The Wicked + the Divine), this series established Carol as a top-tier Marvel hero, gaining her a huge fan community called ‘The Carol Corps’ (which was later made canon in a Secret Wars comic). Here, Carol reconnected with her Air Force roots, confronted the Kree soldier responsible for her heroic origin, and travelled through space saving alien communities in need.

DeConnick Captain Marvel run reading order

Captain Marvel / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (collects the first appearances of the new Captain Marvel)

Captain Marvel. [Vol. 1], In pursuit of Flight / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (also on Libby)

Captain Marvel [2] : down / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (also on Libby)

Avengers : the enemy within / DeConnick, Kelly Sue

The Enemy Within storyline is also collected as Captain Marvel : Earth’s mightiest hero. Vol. 2 / DeConnick, Kelly Sue

Captain Marvel [1] : higher, further, faster, more / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (also on Libby)

Captain Marvel. Vol. 2, Stay fly / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (also on Libby)

Captain Marvel [3] : Alis volate propriis / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (also on Libby)

Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (tie-in to Secret Wars)

Captain Marvel [3] and Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps are also collected together in Captain Marvel : Earth’s mightiest hero. Vol. 4 / DeConnick, Kelly Sue


Alpha Flight

After DeConnick’s departure, Captain Marvel’s series was taken up by Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas (Agent Carter). Here, Carol becomes the leader of Earth’s new space defense force, Alpha Flight.

Captain Marvel. Vol. 1, Rise of Alpha Flight / Fazekas, Michele

Rise of Alpha Flight is also collected in Captain Marvel : Earth’s mightiest hero. Vol. 5 / Fazekas, Michele

Alpha Flight later spun-off into the Hulk-hunting team Gamma Flight, who appeared throughout Immortal Hulk and eventually got their own series.

Gamma Flight / Ewing, Al


Civil War II

A surprise attack by Thanos catches the Avengers off-guard, leaving War Machine dead and She-Hulk comatose. As the superhero community reels from the attack, a new hero appears, Ulysses, who has the ability to predict the future. Carol embraces him, believing Ulysses could prevent further crimes and disasters before they happen. Tony Stark opposes her on the premise that these predictions could violate people’s rights, and the Marvel heroes choose sides, setting off a second Superhuman Civil War.

Carol in Civil War II appearances

Captain Marvel Volume 2: Civil War II (only on Libby)

Vol 2: Civil War II is also collected in Captain Marvel : Earth’s mightiest hero. Vol. 5 / Fazekas, Michele

Civil war II / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel [6] : Civil War II / Wilson, G. Willow

Guardians of the Galaxy. Vol. 3, Civil War II / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)


A New Origin

After Civil War II, Carol returns to her role as leader of Alpha Flight, and learns the undiscovered truth about her heritage and her powers.

The mighty Captain Marvel. Vol. 1, Alien nation / Stohl, Margaret (also on Libby)

The mighty Captain Marvel [2] : band of sisters / Stohl, Margaret (also on Libby)

The mighty Captain Marvel [3] : dark origins / Stohl, Margaret (also on Libby)

The life of Captain Marvel / Stohl, Margaret


Kelly Thompson run

In Kelly Thompson’s run on her series, Captain Marvel explores apocalyptic futures, becomes an Accuser for the Kree Empire, and finds a new nemesis in Ripley Ryan, a reality-altering journalist.

Captain Marvel. Vol. 1, Re-entry / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel. Vol. 2, Falling star / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel [3] : the last Avenger / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel [4] : accused / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel [5] : the new world / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel [6] : strange magic / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel [7] : the last of the Marvels / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel [8] : the trials / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel. Vol. 9, Revenge of the Brood, part 1 / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel. Vol. 10, Revenge of the Brood / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel : dark tempest / Nocenti, Ann


Captain Marvel’s Teams

As Captain Marvel, Carol has been a member of the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, The Ultimates, and the all-female team A-Force.

Captain Marvel’s team appearances

Avengers [1] : Avengers world / Hickman, Jonathan

Avengers by Jason Aaron. Vol. 1 / Aaron, Jason (also on Libby)

Guardians of the Galaxy. Vol. 3, Civil War II / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

A-Force : hypertime, 1 / Wilson, G. Willow

A-Force [2] : rage against the dying of the light / Thompson, Kelly

The Ultimates [1] : start with the impossible / Ewing, Al


Who is Monica Rambeau?

Monica Rambeau is a harbour patrol lieutenant who became a superhero with the ability to manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum, going by Captain Marvel, Photon, and Spectrum. A natural-born leader, Monica has commanded the Avengers, Ultimates, Thunderbolts, Strikeforce, and the anti-corporate splinter cell Nextwave.

Monica Rambeau appearances

Nextwave, agents of H.A.T.E. : ultimate collection / Ellis, Warren

Captain Marvel [2] : down / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (also on Libby)

Mighty Avengers. Volume 2, Family bonding / Ewing, Al

Mighty Avengers [3] : original sin : not your father’s Avengers / Ewing, Al

Captain America and the Mighty Avengers [2] : last days / Ewing, Al

Avengers : no road home / Waid, Mark

Strikeforce [1] : trust me / Howard, Tini

Captain Marvel [7] : the last of the Marvels / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel [8] : the trials / Thompson, Kelly

The amazing Spider-Man : beyond [4]

Thunderbolts : back on target / Zubkavich, Jim

Monica Rambeau. Photon / Ewing, Eve L.


The Ultimates

Both Monica and Carol (along with Black Panther, America Chavez, Blue Marvel, and a reformed Galactus) were members of the Ultimates, a team dedicated to solving larger-scale threats, like evil living universes and nightmarish cosmic beings. Here, Monica’s powers evolve to the point where she becomes a being of living energy.

The Ultimates reading order

The Ultimates [1] : start with the impossible / Ewing, Al

The Ultimates [2] : Civil war II / Ewing, Al

The Ultimates 2 [1] : troubleshooters / Ewing, Al

The Ultimates 2. Vol. 2, Eternity War / Ewing, Al


Who is Kamala Khan?

Kamala Khan is a Pakistani-American superhero fan from New Jersey who, after being exposed to the Inhuman’s ‘Terrigen Mist’, gained the ability to grow, shrink and shapeshift. Inspired by her idol Captain Marvel, Kamala took up the identity of Ms. Marvel, fighting any villains that threaten her home of Jersey City while balancing life as a high-school student.

Ms. Marvel reading order

Ms. Marvel [1] : no normal / Wilson, G. Willow (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel [2] : Generation why / Wilson, G. Willow (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel [3] : crushed / Wilson, G. Willow (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel [4] : last days / Wilson, G. Willow (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel [5] : super famous / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel [6] : Civil War II / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel. Vol. 7, Damage per second / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel [8] : Mecca / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel [9] : teenage wasteland / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel. 10, Time and again / Wilson, G. Willow

G. Willow Wilson’s entire run on Ms. Marvel are also collected in these double-sized volumes, which are read in this order:

Ms. Marvel : Kamala Khan / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel : metamorphosis / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel [3] / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel meets the Marvel Universe

Ms. Marvel : army of one / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel. Game over / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel : something new / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel : generations / Wilson, G. Willow


Ms. Marvel: Outlawed

In the most recent run on Ms. Marvel by Saladin Ahmed (Miles Morales), Kamala battles an alien invasion, gains her version of a symbiote in the living armour ‘Stormranger’, and inadvertently becomes the catalyst for a law that restricts the age of active superheroes to 18 and over.

Ms. Marvel [1] : destined / Ahmed, Saladin (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel [2] : stormranger / Ahmed, Saladin (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel [3] : outlawed / Ahmed, Saladin (also on Libby)

Marvel voices : identity

Ms. Marvel : beyond the limit / Ahmed, Samira (also on Libby)


Ms. Marvel’s Team-Ups

Ms. Marvel initially joined the Avengers, before she split off with Miles Morales and Nova to form the Champions, a team of young heroes dedicated to fighting the social justice issues that the Avengers don’t address.

Ms. Marvel Team-up collections

Ms. Marvel team-up / Ewing, Eve L.

Ms. Marvel : fists of justice / Houser, Jody

Ms. Marvel in the Avengers and Champions

All-new, all-different Avengers. Vol. 1, The magnificent seven / Waid, Mark (also on Libby)

All-new all-different Avengers [2] : family business / Waid, Mark

All-new all-different Avengers. Vol. 3, Civil War II / Waid, Mark

Champions [1] : change the world / Waid, Mark

Champions [2] : the freelancer lifestyle / Waid, Mark

The first two Champions volumes are also collected as
Champions : because the world still needs heroes / Waid, Mark

Champions. Vol. 3, Champion for a day / Waid, Mark

The Avengers & Champions : worlds collide / Waid, Mark

Champions [1] : outlawed / Ewing, Eve L. (also on Libby)

Champions. Volume 2, Killer app / Lore, Danny (also on Libby)

A grizzled, older variant of Kamala is a member of the Exiles, a multiverse-hopping team of heroes, each from a different parallel universe.

Exiles [1] : test of time / Ahmed, Saladin

Exiles. Vol. 2, The trial of the Exiles / Ahmed, Saladin


Other Captain Marvels

Marvel Comic’s original Captain Marvel was the alien Kree warrior Mar-Vell. Since his passing, both his son Genis-Vell and daughter Phyla-Vell (a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy) have been Captain Marvel, before Carol Danvers took up the name.

Genis and Phyla-Vell appearances

Genis-Vell : Captain Marvel / David, Peter

Guardians of the Galaxy. 1, Then it’s us / Ewing, Al

The Guardians of the Galaxy [2] : “Here we make our stand” / Ewing, Al

Of course, the original Captain Marvel was the Fawcett Comics hero (now owned by DC Comics) we now call Shazam. You can find out about his exploits on our blog for him here.


Moonstone and Star

Carol Danvers has inspired not just heroes, but villains as well. Her enemy Karla Sofen, the super-powered psychologist Moonstone, once impersonated her as Ms. Marvel on Norman Osborn’s ‘Dark Avengers’.

Moonstone as Ms. Marvel appearances

Captain Marvel : Carol Danvers : the Ms. Marvel years. Vol. 3 / Reed, Brian

Dark Avengers (only on Libby)

Dark X-Men / Cornell, Paul

Siege : Mighty Avengers / Slott, Dan

Recently, Carol fought Ripley Ryan a.k.a Star, a reporter and wannabe hero who became the host to the Infinity Gauntlet’s world-altering Reality Stone.

Star appearances

Captain Marvel. Vol. 1, Re-entry / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel. Vol. 2, Falling star / Thompson, Kelly

Star : birth of a dragon / Thompson, Kelly

King in black : thunderbolts / Rosenberg, Matthew

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… Invincible

By

On Wednesday, 15 November, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, eLibrary, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character or series. This post is all about the teenage superhero who doesn’t always live up to his name… Invincible!

(GIF via Giphy)


What is Invincible?

Invincible is a comic series published by Image Comics about the adventures of a young superhero, Invincible. Written by Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and drawn by Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley (The Amazing Spider-Man), the series ran for 144 issues, plus a couple of spinoff series.

Invincible was praised for its clever skewering of classic superhero tropes, memorable and well-developed characters, and phenomenal fight scenes that rival nothing else in modern comics. In 2021, Invincible received an animated adaptation on Amazon Prime, and is currently being adapted into a live-action movie.


Who is Invincible?

Mark Grayson is your average high schooler, except that his dad is the hero Omni-Man, a superpowered alien representative from the distant planet Viltrum. When he turns 17, Mark discovers he has superpowers just like his father, including flight, super-strength and invulnerability, and creates his own costumed moniker, Invincible.

Omni-Man takes Invincible under this wing, joining a world already full to the brim with heroes, like Atom Eve, the Teen Team, and the Guardians of the Globe. But as he begins to adjust to his new powers and responsibilities, Mark gets more than he bargained for when he learns the real purpose behind his father’s mission to Earth.


How to read Invincible

We have the entire Invincible series in our collection, and there are a couple different ways you can read it.

Ultimate Collections

The entire Invincible series has been reprinted in twelve giant Ultimate Collections, each volume containing around 12 issues of the series apiece.

Invincible : ultimate collection, Volume 1 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 2 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 3 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 4 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 5 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 6 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 7 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 8 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 9 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 10 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 11 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 12 / Kirkman, Robert


Original Volumes

We still have most of the original volumes of Invincible from when it was still being published. If you’re waiting on reserves for the Ultimate Collection, these might help you out in the meantime (each catalogue entry will tell you what issues are collected in each volume).

Invincible [4] : head of the class / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [5] : the facts of life / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [6] : a different world / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [7] : three’s company / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [12] : still standing / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [14] : the Viltrumite War / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [15] : get smart / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [16] : family ties / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [17] : what’s happening / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [18] : the death of everyone / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [19] : the war at home / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [21] : modern family / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [22] : reboot / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [23] : full house / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [24] : the end of all things. Part one / Kirkman, Robert


Compendiums on the eLibrary

We also have the entire series on our eLibrary, Libby!

Invincible. Compendium One (issues #0-47)

Invincible. Compendium Two (issues #48-96)

Invincible. Compendium Three (issues #97-144)


Invincible spinoffs

Not included in the Invincible Ultimate Collections are the spinoff series Guarding the Globe and Invincible Universe. These series focus on a new team of the Guardians of the Globe as they tackle the global crises that spin out of the events of the main Invincible comic.

Guarding the Globe takes place after the Invincible War arc (collected in Ultimate Collection Volume 8), while Invincible Universe takes place after The Death of Everyone arc (collected in Ultimate Collection Volume 9).

Guarding the globe [1] : under siege / Kirkman, Robert

Guarding the globe [2] : hard to kill / Hester, Phil

Invincible Universe. Volume 1 / Hester, Phil

Invincible Universe [2] : above the law / Hester, Phil

Stand Alone Graphic Novels for Teens with Busy Schedules

By

On Monday, 6 November, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, lgbtqia+, stuff to read

It’s that time of year, exams, assignments, school dances and proms, everything is happening and it’s really hard to find time to concentrate on reading anything too lengthy or complex.  Picking up a series right now could be just a bit much in a busy schedule.  But you need some down time, right?  Here’s a list of recent picks of standalone graphic novels for you to give yourself a break with.

Four-color heroes / Fairgray, Richard
“Written and illustrated by Aotearoa/New Zealand-born creator Richard Fairgray, the story is set in a New Zealand high school during the passing of the Civil Union Act 2004. As tensions rose nationwide over the basic equal rights of same-sex couples, two boys were fighting a battle on a smaller scale, against enemies from within and without, as they found love and self-discovery through the pages of a comic book.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Crumbs / Stirling, Danie
“In a very special town, there’s an even more unusual bakery with a selection of baked treats hand-crafted to help your dreams come true. For Ray, a quiet young woman with special powers of her own, the order is always the same: a hot tea with a delicious side of romance. When Ray meets Laurie, the kind barista who aspires to be a professional musician, she gets a real taste of love for the first time. But even with a spark of magic, romance isn’t so simple.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Family style : memories of an American from Vietnam / Pham, Thien
“Thien’s first memory isn’t a sight or a sound. It’s the sweetness of watermelon and the saltiness of fish. It’s the taste of the foods he ate while adrift at sea as his family fled Vietnam. After the Pham family arrives at a refugee camp in Thailand, they struggle to survive. Things don’t get much easier once they resettle in California. And through each chapter of their lives, food takes on a new meaning. And for Thien Pham, that story is about a search… for belonging, for happiness, for the American dream.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Every day : the graphic novel / Levithan, David
“Every morning A wakes in a different person’s body, in a different person’s life, learning over the years to never get too attached, until he wakes up in the body of Justin and falls in love with Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Sunshine : how one camp taught me about life, death, and hope / Krosoczka, Jarrett
“When Jarrett J. Krosoczka was in high school, he was part of a program that sent students to be counselors at a camp for seriously ill kids and their families. Going into it, Jarrett was worried: Wouldn’t it be depressing, to be around kids facing such a serious struggle? Wouldn’t it be grim? But instead of the shadow of death, Jarrett found something else at Camp Sunshine: the hope and determination that gets people through the most troubled of times. He learned about the captivity of illness, for sure but he also learned about the freedom a safe space can bring.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

In limbo / Lee, Deborah
“Ever since Deborah (Jung-Jin) Lee emigrated from South Korea to the United States, she’s felt her otherness. For a while, her English wasn’t perfect. Her teachers can’t pronounce her Korean name. Her face and her eyes – especially her eyes – feel wrong. In high school, everything gets harder. Friendships change and end, she falls behind in classes, and fights with her mom escalate. But Deb is resilient and slowly heals with the help of art and self-care, guiding her to a deeper understanding of her heritage and herself.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Breath of the giant / Aureille, Tom
“The Giants live in the Lost Territories of the North, atop the mountains. The Ones who find their way there will, by killing one of these beasts, collect his breath and pass it on to a lifeless body. Against the Gods’ will, the deceased will then come back to life. Sisters Iris and Sophia are determined to find one of these Giants. They lost their mother too soon and put all their hopes in this quest. But the journey ahead of them will bring way more than they were bargaining for.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Issunboshi : a graphic novel / Lang, Ryan
“In a feudal Japan where creatures of myth and folklore are real, a demon sets out to reforge an ancient weapon to take over the world. The only person who can stop him is a six-inch-tall would-be samurai, who also happens to be the final and most important piece of the weapon.” (Catalogue)

 

Over my dead body / Boo, Sweeney
“One day, everything was exactly as it was supposed to be. And the next, the closest thing Abby ever had to a sister, Noreen, was just… gone. Distracted by the annual preparations for the Samhain festival, Abby’s classmates are quick to put Noreen’s disappearance aside. The Coven will find her, Abby’s friends say. They have it under control. But Abby can’t let it go. Soon a search for answers leads her down a rabbit hole that uncovers more secrets than Abby can handle.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… Loki

By

On Tuesday, 31 October, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, stuff to read, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character or series. This post is all about Marvel’s God of Mischief, Loki!


Who is Loki?

Born to the Frost Giants of the realm of Jotunheim and adopted by Odin, the King of Asgard, Loki is the Norse God of Mischief and sibling to Thor, the God of Thunder.

When Thor is banished to Earth and becomes a superhero, Loki follows to menace him as a supervillain. Using their magic powers and skills in deception, Loki has been a thorn in Thor’s side for years. Famously, they were also the first threat to ever assemble The Avengers, and they’ve kept a vested interest in the team ever since, even becoming a member of the Young Avengers.

After years of villainy and mischief, Loki now plays a more ambivalent role in the Marvel Universe; sometimes they’re a hero, sometimes they’re a villain, sometimes they’re working for higher powers, sometimes they’re working for themselves. But whatever they do for whatever reason, to those that know them, Loki will never be trusted.


Some Low-Key Notes Before We Begin

Given Loki’s penchant for trickery, disguise, time travel, faking their death, and actually dying and being resurrected a couple of times, their timeline is incredibly complicated, weaving back and forth across the Marvel canon. I’ve done my best to put Loki’s appearances in chronological order of their personal timeline rather than the publishing date of the series they appear in.

In addition, Loki has three notable iterations (the original Norse god ‘Old Loki‘, the young anti-hero ‘Kid Loki‘, and the present incarnation Loki), the former two identifying as male with he/him pronouns and the third being genderfluid, able to change gender at a whim and identifying with the relevant pronoun depending on appearance. I’m going to default to ‘they/them’ for this incarnation, as current writers have done in Loki’s recent appearances.


Loki: God of Mischief

Following Thor to Earth, Loki uses his skill with magic and trickery to be a supervillain. In addition to continuing to menace his brother across Earth and Asgard, Loki also becomes the first threat that the Avengers ever assembled against. Loki’s iteration from his early appearances up to Siege is retroactively called ‘Old Loki’, though he will occasionally pop up via time travel to antagonise both Thor and his future self (see Agent of Asgard below).

‘Old Loki’ appearances

Thor : the mighty avenger / Langridge, Roger

The Avengers : Earth’s mightiest heroes. Volume 1, 1963-1965 / Lee, Stan

Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Volume 1 (only on Libby)

Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Volume 2 (only on Libby)

Loki (the Marvel-Verse collection)

The mighty Thor [3] / Simonson, Walter

Thor : Ragnaroks / Oeming, Michael Avon


Loki and the Siege of Asgard

When Norman Osborn (the Green Goblin) takes over the Avengers and SHIELD following Secret Invasion, he forms the Cabal (the villain equivalent of the Illuminati) and asks Loki to join. When Osborn begins to lose his grip on absolute power, Loki suggests he boost his status by leading a false flag attack on Asgard (which at this point in time hovered over a small town in Oklahoma), leading to the crossover story Siege.

Loki’s Journey to Siege

Secret invasion : Thor / Fraction, Matt

Dark reign : accept change

Siege : battlefield

Siege : Mighty Avengers / Slott, Dan

Siege / Bendis, Brian Michael


Kid Loki

After Siege, Loki is reborn as ‘Kid Loki’, a preteen Asgardian looking to get a fresh start. This Loki is still a schemer, but also more of a team player, working with Thor, the Young Avengers, and a cosmic team of gods called ‘The Asgardians of the Galaxy’.

Kid Loki appearances

The mighty Thor : journey into mystery : everything burns / Fraction, Matt

Young Avengers [1] : style > substance / Gillen, Kieron

Young Avengers [2] : alternative cultures / Gillen, Kieron

Mic-drop at the edge of time and space / Gillen, Kieron

The three Young Avengers volumes are also collected together as Young Avengers : the complete collection / Gillen, Kieron

Asgardians of the Galaxy [1] : the Infinity Armada / Bunn, Cullen

Asgardians of the Galaxy. Vol. 2, The war of the realms / Bunn, Cullen

There’s also a prose novel of the adventures of a younger Loki in nineteenth-century London, written by The Gentlemen’s Guide author Mackenzi Lee.

Loki : where mischief lies / Lee, Mackenzi


Loki: Agent of Asgard

After their adventures with the Young Avengers, Loki becomes the Agent of Asgard, working behind the scenes to maintain their hallowed home’s place in the cosmic order. Along the way, Loki confronts their alternate selves, gains a greater awareness of their purpose, and later assists the Defenders in an adventure beyond the Multiverse.

Loki: Agent of Asgard reading order

Loki : agent of Asgard [1] : trust me / Ewing, Al

Original sin : Thor & Loki : the tenth realm / Aaron, Jason

Loki : agent of Asgard [2] : I cannot tell a lie / Ewing, Al

Loki : agent of Asgard [3] : last days / Ewing, Al

The entire Agent of Asgard series is also collected as Loki, agent of Asgard : the complete collection / Ewing, Al

Defenders : beyond / Ewing, Al


Loki: Schemer, Sorcerer… Politician?

When the multiverse resets following Secret Wars, Loki has a pretty full schedule of mischief: menacing the new Thor Jane Foster, running for president in Vote Loki, briefly becoming the Sorcerer Supreme, awakening a dead Celestial buried on Earth (which kicks off Jason Aaron’s long-running and recently concluded Avengers run), and leading a ragtag team of Avengers to gather the Infinity Stones.

Post-Secret Wars Loki appearances

The mighty Thor [1] : thunder in her veins / Aaron, Jason (also on Libby)

The mighty Thor [2] : Lords of Midgard / Aaron, Jason (also on Libby)

The mighty Thor [3] : the Asgard/Shi’ar war / Aaron, Jason

Vote Loki / Hastings, Chris

Doctor Strange. 1, God of magic / Cates, Donny (also collected in Doctor Strange / Cates, Donny)

Marvel legacy

The Avengers [1] : the final host / Aaron, Jason

Infinity Wars / Duggan, Gerry


War of the Lokis

Loki learns that their past self had a hand in starting The War of the Realms, a massive conflict between the Avengers and an invasion force of villains from across the Ten Realms. They also learn of a prophecy where a version of ‘Old Loki’ is fated to destroy Asgard, which is explored in the miniseries King Thor.

Loki in the War of the Realms reading order

Thor [1] : God of Thunder reborn / Aaron, Jason (also on Libby)

Thor [2] : road to war of the realms / Aaron, Jason (also on Libby)

The unbeatable Squirrel Girl. Vol. 11, Call your squirrelfriend / North, Ryan

The war of the realms / Aaron, Jason

Loki : the god who fell to Earth / Kibblesmith, Daniel (also on Libby)

King Thor / Aaron, Jason


Return of the God of Lies

In their most recent series, Loki must travel the universe to find the pieces of a cursed weapon he built back in ancient times to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

Loki : the liar / Watters, Dan


Thor and Loki

Despite their differences over the centuries, the two Asgardian brothers make a great team, with Thor’s brash honesty and raw strength complimenting Loki’s trickery and magical deceptions. Here are a few series that feature their adventures together (and if you’re interested in more Thor books, I wrote a guide for them here!)

Thor and Loki adventures

Thor & Loki . Blood brothers / Rodi, Robert

The mighty Thor : journey into mystery : everything burns / Fraction, Matt

Original sin : Thor & Loki : the tenth realm / Aaron, Jason

Loki : agent of Asgard [2] : I cannot tell a lie / Ewing, Al

Thor and Loki : double trouble / Tamaki, Mariko

Look No Further: New Teen Books in the Collection

By

On Wednesday, 18 October, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, dystopia, espionage and sneaky spies, mysteries & whodunnits, realistic fiction, stuff to read

October’s crop of new books for teens is a bumper one!  There’s a little bit of something for everyone in these latest arrivals, mystery, romance, survival, families, murder, suspense… even Batman’s butler Alfred in his youth.  Take a look at just a few of the new titles available this month…

Look no further / Robinson, Rioghnach
“When Nico and Ali meet at Ogilvy Summer Art Institute, a selective camp for art students in New York City, they seem like complete opposites. When a teacher assigns them as pairs for a genealogy project, Ali and Niko are shocked to find they have a lot more in common than they bargained for. On a quest to uncover their shared history, Ali finds herself falling for her roommate, who may have already fallen for another girl at Ogilvy. Surfer-bro Niko struggles to find his footing in the glamorous NYC art scene. Only when they face real heartbreak can they accept the most transformative revelation of the best art is what you make, not just what you see.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Frontera / Anta, Julio
“As long as he remembers to stay smart and keep his eyes open, Mateo knows that he can survive the trek across the Sonoran Desert that will take him from Mexico to the United States. That is until he’s caught by the Border Patrol only moments after sneaking across the fence in the dead of night. If you’d asked him if ghosts were real before he found himself face-to-face with one, Mateo wouldn’t have even considered it. But now, confronted with the nearly undeniable presence of Guillermo, he’s having second thoughts. As his journey stretches on, Mateo will have to decide exactly what and who he’s willing to sacrifice to find home.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Ride or die / Musikavanhu, Gail-Agnes
“From illegal snack swapping in kindergarten to reckless car surfing in high school, Loli Crawford and Ryan Pope have been causing trouble in their uptight California town forever. Everyone knows that the mischief starts with Loli. When Loli throws the wildest party Woolridge High has ever seen just to steal a necklace, she meets X, an unidentified boy in a coat closet, who challenges her to a game she can’t refuse. Loli and X and X exchange increasingly risky missions. As she attempts to one-up X’s every move, Loli risks losing everything– including her oldest friend.” (Catalogue)

Paper planes / Wood, Jennie
“After a life altering incident, Dylan and Leighton are sent to a summer camp for troubled youth. They both need a good evaluation at the camp. Otherwise, they’ll be sent away, unable to attend high school with their friends. While participating in camp activities and chores, Dylan and Leighton are pushed onto personal journeys of self-discovery and are forced to re-examine the events that led up to the incident that sent them to camp, the incident that threatens their futures and their friendship with each other. Can Dylan and Leighton save their friendship and protect their future while trying to survive camp?” (Catalogue)

Thirty to sixty days / Wood, Alikay
“A compulsive liar with a quick-witted response to everything, Hattie Larken is willing to do whatever it takes to just skate through the rest of high school and she can escape the mind-numbing monotony of this town. Then she finds out she is dying– exposed to a parasite because of a mistake her mom’s company made. Two other kids from her class also have been exposed: Carmen, the class president with a loving family, and a totally beautiful girlfriend; and Albie, a quiet kid who survived childhood cancer only to deal with this. With only thirty to sixty days to live, they decide to: Steal and sail a boat to Miami. Adopt a turtle. Sneak into a sold-out music festival. And maybe film all their misadventures….” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Young Alfred : pain in the butler / Northrop, Michael
“Bruce Wayne wouldn’t be Batman without his righthand man, Alfred Pennyworth. But was Alfred born to be the greatest butler in the world? Not exactly… When Alfred attends the prestigious Gotham Servants School, he is a clumsy and nervous boy going to fulfill his father’s last wish–he will become…a butler! Pushed out of his comfort zone, Alfred must adjust to new surroundings and responsibilities while trying to ace his courses and get along with his classmates. But when he suspects that his school may be involved in a criminal plot, Alfred must look within himself to see if he has what it takes to be not only a butler, but a hero.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Four found dead / Richards, Natalie D.
“Tempest Theaters is closing: tonight is their last night. It’s the last remaining business in a defunct shopping mall. The moviegoers have left, and Jo and her six coworkers have the final shift, cleaning up popcorn and mopping floors for the last time. An unexpected altercation puts everyone on edge, the power goes out– and the manager disappears, along with the keys to the lobby doors and the theater safe, where the crew’s phones are locked each shift. When a body is discovered, their only escape is through the dark, shuttered mall. To survive the night, Jo and her coworkers must trust one another, navigate the ruins of the mall, and outwit a killer before he kills again.” (Catalogue)

Firebird / Sunmi
“Caroline Kim is feeling the weight of sophomore year. When she starts tutoring infamous senior Kimberly Park-Ocampo – a charismatic lesbian, friend to rich kids and punks alike – Caroline is flustered… but intrigued Their friendship kindles and before they know it, the two are sneaking out for late-night drives, bonding beneath the stars over music, dreams, and a shared desire of getting away from it all. A connection begins to smolder… but will feelings of guilt and the mounting pressure of life outside of these adventures extinguish their spark before it catches fire?” (Catalogue)

I am the Mau : & other stories / Glasheen, Chemutai
“This enticing collection of contemporary fiction is a celebration of our ubuntu- the invisible ties that bind us all together. From ancient forest guardians to modern cultural warriors, from grappling with age-old traditions to championing hair identity, these evocative stories explore the duality of Kenyan life and how to find a way between two cultures, both of which are yours.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Monstrous : a transracial adoption story / Myer, Sarah
“Sarah has always struggled to fit in. Born in South Korea and adopted at birth by a white couple, she grows up in a rural community with few Asian neighbours. People whisper in the supermarket. Classmates bully her. She has trouble containing her anger in these moments – but through it all, she has her art. She’s always been a compulsive drawer, and when she discovers anime, her hobby becomes an obsession. Though drawing and cosplay offer her an escape, she still struggles to connect with others. And in high school, the bullies are louder and meaner. Sarah’s bubbling rage is threatening to burst.” (Catalogue)

For more new books in the collection, go to: What’s new / October 2023 (wcl.govt.nz)

Blutant Blurtles: The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… Blue Beetle and Ninja Turtles

By

On Thursday, 5 October, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, stuff to read, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

“Blutant Blurtles: Adolescent Armored Animals”

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character or series. This post is all about two armoured animal adolescent heroes who recently made the leap from comics to the big screen: Blue Beetle, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!


Who is Blue Beetle?

Blue Beetle is a title held by heroes who possess the Scarab, a beetle-shaped artifact that can turn into a metallic insectoid armour. Its most recent bearer is high school student Jaime Reyes, who uses the Scarab’s abilities to protect Palmera City alongside his mentor, the previous Blue Beetle Ted Kord.


Blue Beetle’s Surprisingly Important History

Despite being a minor hero compared to the likes of Superman or Spider-Man, Blue Beetle has a long and storied history in the world of comics.

" "

For starters, Blue Beetle was not originally a DC Comics character; the first Blue Beetle, a rookie cop named Dan Garrett, was first created by Charles Wojtkoski for Fox Feature Syndicate in 1939 (a year after the debut of Superman). The character was later bought by Charlton Comics, where he received a new identity in businessman Ted Kord and got a sleek redesign (see right) by original Spider-Man artist Steve Ditko.

After Charlton went under, their characters were bought by DC and incorporated into their multiverse on Earth-4. You can read about their adventures in the story ‘Pax Americana‘ in The Multiversity series.

Versions of the Charlton heroes also exist in the ‘prime’ DC Comics timeline of Earth-0, including the atomic army man Captain Atom, the faceless detective The Question, the shadow-wielding spy Nightshade, the patriotic soldier (and recent TV sensation) Peacemaker, and of course, Blue Beetle.

The Charlton heroes then went on to inspire the characters of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ celebrated comic Watchmen, considered one of the greatest graphic novels ever made; Blue Beetle’s analogue there is the tech-using animal-themed hero Nite Owl. ‘Pax Americana‘ in Multiversity incorporates elements of Watchmen into its version of Earth-4, and Watchmen‘s official sequel Doomsday Clock has the Charlton heroes collide with the graphic novel they influenced in the most obvious way possible, fighting Doctor Manhattan on the surface of Mars.


Ted Kord – Blue Beetle II

The first Blue Beetle was Dan Garrett, a blue-armoured adventurer in the 1940s. The Scarab then passed to businessman Ted Kord, who couldn’t use the Scarab’s powers but incorporated its design into his costume and his trademark insect-shaped aircraft, the Bug. Ted has been a member of the Justice League International and its low-rent revival ‘the Super Buddies’.

Blue Beetle Ted Kord appearances

Blue Beetle. Volume one / Wein, Len

Justice League task force. Volume 1, The purification plague / Michelinie, David

Formerly known as the Justice League / Giffen, Keith

Convergence : infinite earths. Book two

Suicide Squad : bad blood / Taylor, Tom

Doomsday clock : the complete collection / Johns, Geoff

The human target. Volume one / King, Tom

Dark crisis on infinite Earths / Williamson, Joshua


The Blue and the Gold

In the days of Justice League International, Ted was frequently paired with time-travelling hero Booster Gold as a comedy duo, with the modest, level-headed Ted trying to keep the vainglorious, easily duped Booster out of trouble. After Ted died, Booster would try to use time travel to revive his friend by meddling with history. With the timeline being rewritten after DC Rebirth, Ted is alive once more, mentoring the third Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes.

Booster Gold and Blue Beetle team-ups

Formerly known as the Justice League / Giffen, Keith

Booster Gold : blue and gold / Johns, Geoff

Justice League 3000. Volume 2, The Camelot war / Giffen, Keith

Convergence : flashpoint book 1

Heroes in crisis / King, Tom

Dark crisis on infinite Earths / Williamson, Joshua


Ted Across the Multiverse

As mentioned above, a version of Ted appears on Earth-4 with the original Charlton characters in Multiversity. Ted is finally able to use the Scarab’s armour in Kingdom Come and takes Batman’s side in an encroaching superhero war (the other Charlton heroes also cameo in the story’s inciting incident). In a twisted possible timeline from the Dark Multiverse, Ted becomes a technologically enhanced tyrant called ‘OBAC’ – the One-Beetle Army Corps.

Kingdom come : the 20th anniversary deluxe edition / Waid, Mark

The Multiversity / Morrison, Grant

Tales from the DC dark multiverse


Jaime Reyes

Jaime Reyes is a Mexican-American high schooler from Texas who comes across the Scarab, which promptly fuses to his body and allows him to manifest armour and weapons at will. Jaime learns the Scarab is actually an agent of a conquering alien empire called The Reach, and he sets out to redeem its power for good. Proving his worth as a hero, Jaime later joins the Teen Titans.

Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes appearances

Post-Crisis

Blue Beetle : road trip / Rogers, John

Blue Beetle : boundaries / Sturges, Matthew

Teen Titans : Titans of tomorrow

Teen Titans : changing of the guard / McKeever, Sean

The New 52/DC Rebirth

Blue Beetle. Volume 1, Metamorphosis / Bedard, Tony

Threshold. Volume 1, The hunted / Giffen, Keith

Blue Beetle. Vol. 3, Road to nowhere / Sebela, Christopher

Dark crisis on infinite Earths / Williamson, Joshua

Blue Beetle : graduation day / Trujillo, Josh


Jaime Across the Multiverse

Jaime is a late recruit to ‘The Team’ in the world of Young Justice, where the sidekicks of the Justice League form a black ops unit to save the world covertly. In the second series of Injustice, Jaime becomes Blue Beetle after Ted Kord’s passing, and joins Batman’s resistance.

Young Justice [4] : invasion / Weisman, Greg

Injustice 2. Vol. 1 / Taylor, Tom


Who are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

Four ordinary turtles were exposed to a can of Ooze, which caused them to mutate into humanoid forms. Falling into the sewers and adopted by a kindly rat named Splinter, the four turtle brothers learned martial arts under his tutelage and took on names and trademark ninjutsu weapons, defending New York in secret from ancient and alien threats.

Leonardo leads. Donatello does machines. Raphael has attitude. Michelangelo is a party dude. They are the heroes in a half shell, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!


Original Indie Ninja Turtles

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first appeared in an indie comic by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, skewering the 1980s obsession with ninjas, especially in Frank Miller’s Daredevil (the Ooze is implied to be the radioactive waste that blinded a young Matt Murdock). We have the earliest issues of their indie comic in this volume here:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Volume one / Eastman, Kevin B


Licensed Comic Ninja Turtles

The Turtles have been rebooted numerous times across media, including comics, television, and movies. The current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series is a reboot by original Turtles creator Kevin Eastman and artist Tom Waltz, aiming to streamline the Turtles lore from various media into one comic.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Volume 1, Change is constant / Eastman, Kevin B

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Volume 2, Enemies old, enemies new / Eastman, Kevin B

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Volume 3, Shadows of the past / Waltz, Tom

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Volume 4, Sins of the fathers / Waltz, Tom

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Volume 5 / Lawson, Jim

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : the Armageddon game / Waltz, Tom

Read More

M is for Monster: New Young Adult Books in the Collection

By

On Monday, 14 August, 2023

In comedy, comics and graphic novels, dystopia, fantasy, mysteries & whodunnits, new stuff (ooh, shiny!), non-fiction, realistic fiction, science fiction, stuff to read

August is here and with it yet another bunch of awesome new books in the collection.  We’ve got comics based on Frankenstein and from the perspective of a survivor of a school shooting; novels with dark mystery and swoon-worthy romance; and even a fantastic cookbook for teens, and so much more.  Take a look at the titles below and then click on through to the rest of the new items to explore more.

Comics

M is for monster / Dutton, Talia
“When Doctor Frances Ai’s younger sister Maura died in a tragic accident six months ago, Frances swore she would bring her back to life. However, the creature that rises from the slab is clearly not Maura. This girl, who chooses the name M, doesn’t remember anything about Maura’s life and just wants to be her own person. However, Frances expects M to pursue the same path that Maura had been on – applying to college to become a scientist – and continue the plans she and Maura shared. In order to face the future, both Frances and M need to learn to listen and let go of Maura once and for all.” (Adapted fromCatalogue)

Welcome to St. Hell : my trans teen misadventure / Hancox, Lewis
“Lewis has a few things to say to his younger teen self. He knows she hates her body. He knows she’s confused about who to snog. He knows she’s really a he and will ultimately realize this. But she’s going to go through a whole lot of mess (some of it funny, some of it not funny at all) to get to that point. Lewis is trying to tell her this … but she can’t quite hear him yet.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Knee deep. Book one / Flood, Joe
“Two hundred years in the future, refugees from an environmental cataclysm have fled underground. They are sewerfolk, their home, the bowels of a utopian city that was never completed. Life is hard enough, but an overzealous mining company, PERCH wants to get their claws on this new underground frontier and they don’t mind bulldozing any sewerfolk that get in their way. Caught in the middle is a young girl, Cricket. She’s in a desperate search to find her family that fled underground.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Numb to this : memoir of a mass shooting / Neely, Kindra
“Kindra Neely never expected it to happen to her. No one does. Over the span of a few minutes, on October 1, 2015, eight students and a professor lost their lives. And suddenly, Kindra became a survivor. This empathetic and ultimately hopeful graphic memoir recounts Kindra’s journey forward from those few minutes that changed everything. It wasn’t easy. Every time Kindra took a step toward peace and wholeness, a new mass shooting devastated her again. Las Vegas. Parkland. She was hopeless at times, feeling as if no one was listening. Not even at the worldwide demonstration March for Our Lives. But finally, Kindra learned that – for her – the path toward hope wound through art, helping others, and sharing her story.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Family style : memories of an American from Vietnam / Pham, Thien
“Thien’s first memory isn’t a sight or a sound. It’s the sweetness of watermelon and the saltiness of fish. It’s the taste of the foods he ate while adrift at sea as his family fled Vietnam. After the Pham family arrives at a refugee camp in Thailand, they struggle to survive. Things don’t get much easier once they resettle in California. And through each chapter of their lives, food takes on a new meaning. And for Thien Pham, that story is about a search… for belonging, for happiness, for the American dream.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Fiction

Someone is always watching / Armstrong, Kelley
“When their friend Gabrielle is found covered in blood in front of their dead principal, with no recollection of what happened, Blythe, Tucker, and Tanya soon discover their lives are a lie as the walls built around their real memories come crashing down.” (Catalogue)

Girl, goddess, queen / Fitzgerald, Bea
“Thousands of years ago, the gods told a lie: how Persephone was a pawn in the politics of other gods. How Hades kidnapped Persephone to be his bride. How her mother, Demeter, was so distraught she caused the Earth to start dying. The real story is much more interesting. Persephone wasn’t taken to hell: she jumped. There was no way she was going to be married off to some smug god more in love with himself than her. Now all she has to do is convince the Underworld’s annoyingly sexy, arrogant and frankly rude ruler, Hades, to fall in line with her plan. A plan that will shake Mount Olympus to its very core. But consequences can be deadly, especially when you’re already in hell . . .” (Catalogue)

We Didn’t Think It Through / Lonesborough, Gary
“The justice system characterises Jamie Langton as a ‘danger to society’, but he’s just an Aboriginal kid, trying to find his way through adolescence. He spends his downtime hanging out with his mates, Dally and Lenny. Mark Cassidy and his white mates – the Footy Heads – take every opportunity they can to bully Jamie and his friends. On Lenny’s last night in town before moving to Sydney, after another episode of racist harassment, Jamie, Dally and Lenny decide to retaliate by vandalising Mark Cassidy’s car. And when they discover the keys are in the ignition… Dally changes the plan. But it’s a bad plan. And as a consequence, Jamie ends up in the youth justice system where he must find a way to mend his relationships with himself, his friends, his family and his future.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Painted devils / Owen, Margaret
“When misfortune strikes, the ‘reformed’ jewel thief Vanja manipulates a remote village for help and in turn, accidentally starts a cult around a Low God, the Scarlet Maiden. Soon after, her nemesis-turned-suitor Emeric and a supervising prefect arrive to investigate the claim of godhood, and she realizes how in over her head she must be. But the Scarlet Maiden does reveal herself…only to claim Emeric as her virgin sacrifice. With vengeful apparitions, supernatural fraud, and ravenous hellhounds, readers will not be able to put down this Bavarian-themed YA fantasy, the thrilling sequel to Little Thieves.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Lose you to find me / Brown, Erik J
“Tommy Dees is in the weeds–restaurant speak for beyond overwhelmed. He’s been working as a server at Sunset Estates retirement community to get the experience he needs to attend one of the best culinary schools in the world. And to make his application shine, he also needs a letter of recommendation from his sadistic manager. But in exchange for the letter, Tommy has to meet three conditions–including training the new hire. What he doesn’t expect is for the newbie to be an old crush: Gabe, with the dimples and kind heart, who Tommy fell for during summer camp at age ten and then never saw again.  The training proves distracting as old feelings resurface, and the universe seems to be conspiring against them. With the application deadline looming and Gabe on his mind, Tommy is determined to keep it all together–but what if life isn’t meant to follow a recipe?” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Non-Fiction

Fantastic vegan recipes for the teen cook : 60 incredible recipes you need to try for good health and a better planet / Skiadas, Elaine
“Elaine’s recipes help the modern teen cook be more environmentally-conscious and develop healthy habits while also proving that easy vegan cooking doesn’t need to be bland or boring. With just a few simple techniques and a handful of quality ingredients, it’s easy as can be to whip up a restaurant-quality meal for your family and friends.” (Catalogue)

For more new YA books in the collection, go to:  What’s new / August 2023 (wcl.govt.nz)

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… The Amazing Spider-Man

By

On Saturday, 5 August, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, eLibrary, stuff to read, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character. This post is all about the first to do whatever a spider can: Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man!

(via GIPHY)

This blog will just cover what we have of The Amazing Spider-Man, the main Spider-Man series which has published continuously since 1963, and any other Peter Parker-centric comics.

If you want to read about Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen, and the other heroes from across the Spider-Verse, check out their blogs here (Part One) and here (Part Two).


Who is The Amazing Spider-Man?

Let’s do this one more time….

Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider, and gained superhuman abilities like incredible strength and reflexes, adhesive fingers and toes to climb along walls, and a ‘spider-sense’ that could predict danger. After the tragic death of his Uncle Ben, Peter learned that with great power must also come great responsibility, and he became the crimefighting hero Spider-Man.


An Amazing FantasyBook: 'Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man (2003), Volume 1'. Cover image.

Spider-Man first appeared in the fifteenth (and final) issue of an anthology comic called Amazing Fantasy in 1962. Proving to be a hit with readers, he received his own series the following year, The Amazing Spider-Man.

On Libby, we have the first twenty issues of the series (plus the original Spider-Man story from Amazing Fantasy), which introduces Peter’s supporting cast, like his Aunt May, his boss J. Jonah Jameson of the Daily Bugle newspaper, and his first love interest Betty Brant.

Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 1 (only on Libby)

Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 (only on Libby)


For a contemporary take on Spider-Man’s early years, check out the Learning to Crawl volume, which takes place between Amazing Fantasy #15 and The Amazing Spider-Man #1, or the recent Spidey miniseries.

The amazing Spider-Man [1.1] : learning to crawl / Slott, Dan

Spidey. Volume 1, First day / Thompson, Robbie

Spidey. Vol. 02, After-school special / Thompson, Robbie

The whole run on Spidey is also collected in one volume as
Spidey. [1], Freshman year / Thompson, Robbie


Brand New Day and The Gauntlet

Brand New Day was a mid-2000s Amazing Spider-Man arc which re-established a classic status quo for Peter Parker, working once more for the Daily Bugle and struggling to stay afloat in post-recession New York. In the now-classic The Gauntlet arc, Spider-Man faces revamped versions of his classic foes, like Sandman, Electro, the Lizard, and Mysterio.

The Amazing Spider-Man: Brand New Day (only on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man : brand new day. Vol. 2 / Gale, Bob (also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man : brand new day / Slott, Dan

The amazing Spider-Man : election day / Guggenheim, Marc

The amazing Spider-Man : crime and punisher / Guggenheim, Marc

The amazing Spider-Man : death and dating / Waid, Mark

The amazing Spider-Man : the gauntlet [1] : Electro & Sandman

The amazing Spider-Man : the gauntlet. [Vol. 2], Rhino & Mysterio

The amazing Spider-Man : the gauntlet [3] : Vulture & Morbius

The amazing Spider-Man : the gauntlet [4] : Juggernaut

The amazing Spider-Man : the gauntlet. [Vol. 5], Lizard


Spidey hits the Big Time

Big Time sees Peter Parker joining Horizon Labs, a tech company specialising in cutting-edge research and development. This era focused more on Peter’s scientific smarts, as he used his personal lab to develop tech for fighting villains as Spider-Man and then repurposed it into consumer technology at Horizon.

The amazing Spider-Man : big time

The amazing Spider-Man : matters of life and death / Slott, Dan

The amazing Spider-Man : the return of Anti-Venom

The amazing Spider-Man : flying blind

The amazing Spider-Man : ends of the Earth

The Amazing Spider-Man : Lizard : no turning back / Slott, Dan

The amazing Spider-Man : dying wish / Slott, Dan


Into the Spider-Verse

After having his mind taken over by Doctor Octopus (see Superior Spider-Man in our Spider-Verse blog), Peter returned just in time to join the Spider-Verse crossover, where he first met Silk, Spider-Gwen, and the rest of the Spider-Army.

The amazing Spider-Man [1] : the Parker luck / Slott, Dan (also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man [2] : Spider-Verse prelude / Slott, Dan (also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man [3] : Spider-Verse / Slott, Dan (also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man [4] : graveyard shift / Slott, Dan (also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man [5] : spiral / Conway, Gerry


Spider-Man Worldwide

Continuing Dan Slott’s 100+ issue run on Amazing Spider-Man, this series has Peter Parker going global after becoming the multi-millionaire owner of Parker Industries, with Spider-Man acting as his ‘security consultant’.

The amazing Spider-Man : worldwide [1] / Slott, Dan

The amazing Spider-Man : worldwide [2] / Slott, Dan

Civil war II : amazing Spider-Man / Gage, Christos

The amazing Spider-Man : worldwide [3] / Slott, Dan

The amazing Spider-Man : worldwide [4] / Slott, Dan

The amazing Spider-Man : worldwide [5] / Slott, Dan

The amazing Spider-Man : worldwide [6] / Slott, Dan

The amazing Spider-Man : worldwide [7] / Slott, Dan

The amazing Spider-Man : worldwide [8] / Slott, Dan

The amazing Spider-Man : worldwide [9] / Slott, Dan

Spider-Geddon (ONLY on Libby)


Spider-Man goes Back to Basics

Nick Spencer (Superior Foes of Spider-Man, Captain America) took over the series and brought Spider-Man down to Earth and back to New York. Here, Peter rekindled his romance with Mary Jane Watson and became roommates with one of his B-list villains, Fred Myers aka Boomerang.

The amazing Spider-Man. Vol. 1, Back to basics / Spencer, Nick

The Amazing Spider-Man [2] : friends and foes / Spencer, Nick
(also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man. Vol. 3, Lifetime achievement / Spencer, Nick

The amazing Spider-Man [4] : hunted / Spencer, Nick

The amazing Spider-Man. Vol. 5, Behind the scenes / Spencer, Nick

The amazing Spider-Man : absolute Carnage

The amazing Spider-Man [7] : 2099 / Spencer, Nick

The amazing Spider-Man [8] : threats & menaces / Spencer, Nick

The amazing Spider-Man [9] : sins rising / Spencer, Nick

The amazing Spider-Man [10] : Green Goblin returns / Spencer, Nick

The amazing Spider-Man. Vol. 11, Last remains / Spencer, Nick

The amazing Spider-Man : last remains companion / Spencer, Nick

The amazing Spider-Man [12] : shattered web / Spencer, Nick

The amazing Spider-Man [13] : king’s ransom / Spencer, Nick

The amazing Spider-Man [14] : Chameleon conspiracy / Spencer, Nick

Sinister war / Spencer, Nick

The amazing Spider-Man. Vol. 15, What cost victory / Spencer, Nick


Spider-Man Beyond

Peter Parker’s clone Ben Reilly (see Scarlet Spider in our Spider-Verse blog) takes on the Spider-Man mantle while Peter is out of commission, joining up with the Beyond Corporation as their corporate-sponsored hero.

The amazing Spider-Man : beyond [1]

The amazing Spider-Man : beyond [2]

The amazing Spider-Man : beyond [3]

The amazing Spider-Man : beyond [4]


The Return of Peter Parker

The current run of Amazing Spider-Man has no shortage of ups and downs for Peter Parker, as he gains a new suit courtesy of the reformed Green Goblin, teams up with the X-Men to prevent a demonic invasion in Dark Web, and faces an upgraded Doctor Octopus.

The Amazing Spider-Man. Volume 1, World without love / Wells, Zeb

The Amazing Spider-Man. Volume 2, The new sinister / Wells, Zeb (also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man. Volume 3, Hobgoblin / Wells, Zeb (also on Libby)

Dark web / Wells, Zeb

The amazing Spider-Man. Vol. 4, Dark web / Wells, Zeb

The amazing Spider-Man. Volume 5, Dead language, part 1 / Wells, Zeb

The amazing Spider-Man. Vol. 06, Dead language, part 2

The amazing Spider-Man [7] : armed and dangerous / Wells, Zeb

Read More

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… The Flash

By

On Tuesday, 4 July, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, science fiction, stuff to read, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character. This post is about all the heroes who have held the title of the Fastest Man Alive… The Flash!

(via GIPHY)


Who is The Flash?

After being struck by lightning in a lab accident, police scientist Barry Allen discovers he has the ability to move at superhuman speeds and travel through time. Donning a friction-resistant red-and-yellow suit, Barry protects his home of Central City from the villainous Rogues and traverses time and space as The Flash.

Later, Barry’s nephew Wally West gains super-speed as well and becomes his sidekick Kid Flash, before graduating to becoming the Flash himself.

A Flash Fact about DC Comics history

DC Comics are divided into publishing eras, determined by a point where they set the issue number (and sometimes, continuity) of a series back to #1. These periods are referred to as:

  • ‘Pre-Crisis’ – everything published before 1986
  • ‘Post-Crisis’ – everything published from 1986-2011
  • The New 52 – 2011-2016
  • DC Rebirth – 2016-2021
  • Infinite Frontier – 2021 to present.

This is important to know because the events that define these publishing eras usually have something to do with The Flash; Barry Allen famously dies during the ‘Crisis’, and after being resurrected, he creates the timeline that came to define ‘The New 52’.

If you’d like to know more about DC Comic’s increasingly complicated internal chronology, I recommend checking out DC greatest events : stories that shook the multiverse.

Pre-Crisis

Barry is actually the second Flash: the first was scientist Jay Garrick, who resides on the parallel world of Earth-2. During one of his adventures, Barry travels to Earth-2 and teams up with Jay; this story ‘Flash of Two Worlds’ established the existence of the DC Multiverse, and subsequently the template for all other stories involving multiverses in other media. Barry and Jay would regularly partner up again along with their respective teams, the Justice League and the Justice Society.

Showcase presents The Flash. Volume 2 / Broome, John (includes ‘Flash of Two Worlds’)

The Justice League of America : the Silver Age. Volume three / Fox, Gardner F.

Showcase presents Justice League of America. Volume three / Fox, Gardner

Showcase presents Justice League of America. Volume four / Fox, Gardner


Post-Crisis

Post-Crisis refers to the point after the story Crisis on Infinite Earths, when the DC Multiverse collapses into one Earth with one shared history. Now the Flash became a succession story: Jay Garrick retires as the Flash after WWII, Barry is inspired by Jay, and after Barry’s death, Wally West takes up the mantle of the Flash.

Mark Waid run

Writer Mark Waid first established the idea that the Flashes get their powers from the ‘Speed Force’, an extradimensional energy that governs all motion across time and space, and can be manipulated to grant super-speed and other powers to its wielders, called ‘speedsters’.

The Flash by Mark Waid. Book one / Waid, Mark

The Flash by Mark Waid. Book four / Waid, Mark

The Flash by Mark Waid. Book five / Waid, Mark

The Flash : emergency stop / Morrison, Grant

The Flash : the human race / Morrison, Grant

(The Flash : emergency stop and The Flash : the human race are also collected together as The Flash / Morrison, Grant)

Geoff Johns run

Under Geoff Johns’ pen, Wally West fights new and old Rogues, starts a family, and learns the cost of being a hero with a public identity from Zoom, a villain who alters the flow of time to move at superhuman speed.

The Flash by Geoff Johns. Book two / Johns, Geoff

The Flash by Geoff Johns. Book three / Johns, Geoff

The Flash by Geoff Johns. Book five / Johns, Geoff


Flashpoint

During Final Crisis, Barry Allen is brought back to life and becomes the Flash again. Barry then attempts to rewrite history to prevent his mother’s death, inadvertently creating the ‘Flashpoint’ timeline, a world where Flash, Superman and other heroes never existed.

Absolute final crisis / Morrison, Grant

The Flash : rebirth / Johns, Geoff (also on Libby)

The Flash by Geoff Johns. Book six / Johns, Geoff

The Flash : the road to Flashpoint / Johns, Geoff

Flashpoint / Johns, Geoff


The New 52

Barry erases the Flashpoint timeline, but ends up creating The New 52, a simplified timeline which DC Comics used as a springboard to reboot their comics’ shared continuity. As a result of history being rewritten, Barry becomes the one and only Flash.

The Flash. Volume 1, Move forward / Manapul, Francis
(also on Libby)

The Flash. Volume 2, Rogues revolution / Manapul, Francis

The Flash. Volume 4, Reverse / Manapul, Francis

The Flash. Volume 5, History lessons / Buccellato, Brian

The Flash. Volume 6, Out of time / Venditti, Robert

The Flash. Volume 7, Savage world / Venditti, Robert

The Flash. Volume 8, Zoom / Venditti, Robert

The Flash. Volume 9, Full stop / Jensen, Van


DC Rebirth

During DC Rebirth, the timeline is once again altered, restoring characters and events that had been erased from the timeline by the New 52. These include Wally West, Zoom, and the Reverse-Flash, a stalker fan from the 25th century who wants to emulate his hero, Barry Allen.

The Flash. Vol. 2, Speed of darkness / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash. Vol. 3, Rogues reloaded / Williamson, Joshua

Batman/The Flash : the button : deluxe edition / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash. Vol. 4, Running scared / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash. Vol. 5, Negative / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash. Vol. 6, Cold day in hell / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash. Vol. 7, Perfect storm / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash [8] : Flash war / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash. Volume 9, Reckoning of the forces / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash. Vol. 10, Force Quest / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash : year one / Williamson, Joshua

Heroes in crisis : the price and other stories / Williamson, Joshua

Flash forward / Lobdell, Scott

The Flash. Vol. 11, The greatest trick of all / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash. Vol. 12, Death and the speed force / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash. Vol. 13, Rogues’ reign / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash. Vol. 14, The Flash age / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash. Vol. 15, Finish line / Williamson, Joshua

Dark nights : death metal : the darkest knight (includes ‘Speed Metal’, a team-up with every Flash in history).


Infinite Frontier

After Barry becomes lost in the once more infinite Multiverse, Wally West takes on the mantle of the Flash once more, fighting crime while balancing life as a husband and father.

Infinite frontier / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash. Vol. 16, Wally West returns / Shinick, Kevin

War for Earth-3 / Thompson, Robbie

The Flash. Vol. 17, Eclipsed / Adams, Jeremy

The Flash. Vol. 18, The search for Barry Allen / Adams, Jeremy

The Flash. Volume 19, The one-minute war / Adams, Jeremy

Aquaman & The Flash : Voidsong / Kelly, Collin


Based on the TV series

The (pardon the phrasing) long-running CW series of The Flash has also inspired a few comics of its own.

The Flash : season zero / Kreisberg, Andrew

Crisis on infinite Earths : Paragons rising : the deluxe edition / Wolfman, Marv

Earth-Prime


The Rogues

The Flash’s villains are collectively known as The Rogues, a team of science-powered criminals content to menace The Fastest Man Alive. Lead by ‘The Man Who Mastered Absolute Zero’ Captain Cold, the Rogues have included the pyromaniac Heat Wave, the deceptive Mirror Master, the mischievous Trickster, the blowhard Weather Wizard, the ethereal Golden Glider, and the telepathic criminal ape Gorilla Grodd.

Rogue-centric stories

The Flash by Geoff Johns. Book five / Johns, Geoff (includes the ‘Rogue War’ arc)

The Flash by Geoff Johns. Book six / Johns, Geoff (includes Final Crisis: Rogue’s Revenge miniseries)

Forever Evil [1] : Rogues rebellion / Buccellato, Brian

The Flash. Vol. 3, Rogues reloaded / Williamson, Joshua

The Flash. Vol. 13, Rogues’ reign / Williamson, Joshua

Rogues / Williamson, Joshua


Flash Across the Multiverse

The Flash. Volume 9, Reckoning of the forces / Williamson, Joshua – This volume features Barry meeting the Flashes of the Multiverse, including the cowboy Johnny Thunder of Earth-18, the robot Mercury-Flash of Earth-44, and the unnaturally swift turtle Fastback from the Zoo Crew of Earth-26.

Teen Titans : Earth one. Volume one and Volume two
Wally West hunts down the Teen Titans, here reimagined as teens given superpowers through a covert government experiment.

Earth 2. Volume 1, The gathering / Robinson, James Dale – A reboot of the original Earth-2, now home to a younger Jay Garrick protecting the world from an invasion by Darkseid.

Crime Syndicate / Schmidt, Andy – The Flash from the criminal world of Earth-3 is named Johnny Quick, a member of the nefarious Crime Syndicate.

Multiversity : teen justice / Cohen, Ivan – The matriarchal society of Earth-11 is home to Kid Quick, a genderfluid speedster for the sidekick team Teen Justice.

Justice League infinity / DeMatteis, J. M – A comic continuation of the TV show Justice League Unlimited, where most fans first encountered Wally West.

DC, the new frontier / Cooke, Darwyn – A young Barry Allen helps found the Justice League in the 1950s to battle the monstrous living island ‘The Centre’.

Kingdom come / Waid, Mark – In a future where heroes have rejected humanity, Wally West has fused with the Speed Force and become a human blur.

The Jurassic League / Gedeon, Juan – On the prehistoric Earth-27, the local Flash is a velociraptor (natch).

The Multiversity / Morrison, Grant – The multiversal team Justice League Incarnate includes Red Racer, a comic book fanboy with superspeed from Earth-36, a world protected by the Justice 9.

Justice League incarnate / Williamson, Joshua – After Red Racer’s disappearance, Avery Ho (the Flash of China from New Super-Man) takes over as Justice League Incarnate’s resident speedster.

Injustice : Gods among us : Volume 1 – When Superman takes over the world after a personal tragedy, Barry Allen reluctantly joins the Man of Steel’s Regime.

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… Spider-Verse (Part Two)

By

On Saturday, 10 June, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, stuff to read, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character. This post is about all the heroes that can do whatever a spider can from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse!

Be sure to check out the first part of this blog series, where we covered the Spider-heroes and their villains who appeared in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

(via GIPHY)


Spider-Verse sequel comics

Warzones: Spider-Verse

The first Spider-Verse sequel was set during the Secret Wars storyline, featuring a team of Spiders that would later become the multiverse-protecting Web Warriors.

Spider-Verse / Costa, Mike

Web Warriors, protectors of the Spider-verse. Volume 1, Electroverse / Costa, Mike

Web Warriors, protectors of the Spider-verse. Volume 2, Spiders vs / Costa, Mike


Spider-Geddon

Spider-Geddon sees the Inheritors return to destroy Spiders across time and space, and a new Spider-Army assembles to stop them. Notable new recruits include Spiders-Man, a sentient cluster of spiders who shape themselves into a Spider-Man, and Spider-Ma’am, a version of Aunt May who was bitten by a radioactive spider instead of Peter.

Spider-Geddon (ONLY on Libby)

Peter Parker : the spectacular Spider-Man. Volume 5, Spider-geddon

Spider-Geddon : covert ops / Priest, Christopher J.

Spider-geddon : edge of Spider-geddon

The superior Spider-Man. Vol. 2, Otto-matic / Gage, Christos

Spider-Gwen : Ghost-Spider. Vol. 1, Spider-geddon / McGuire, Seanan


Spider-Verse: Spider-Zero

Spider-Verse: Spider-Zero sees Miles Morales return to the multiverse to help Spider-Zero, a girl with spider-powers who has no universe to call home. This comic is notable featuring fan commissions for new Spider-characters, playing into the ‘Spidersona’ hashtag from social media.

Spider-Verse : Spider-Zero / MacKay, Jed


The End of the Spider-Verse

In The End of the Spider-Verse, the wasp-goddess Shathra takes over the Spider-Verse, and its up to a new team of Spider-Heroes to stop her. New Spiders introduced here include a Disney-inspired Spider-princess named Spinstress, a queer teenager with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome named Sun-Spider, and the Spider-Rex, a web-slinging dinosaur who was hit by a spider-meteor.

Edge of Spider-Verse / Slott, Dan

Spider-Man [1] : end of the Spider-Verse / Slott, Dan

Edge of Spider-Verse. : bleeding edge / Pacheco, Karla


Who’s Who in Across the Spider-Verse?

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse sees Miles Morales being recruited into the Spider Society, an interdimensional team of Spiders who help fix the broken multiverse, alongside Spider-Gwen and Peter B. Parker. Here are just some of the Spiders who debut in the new film:


Spider-Man 2099 (Earth-928)

In the cyberpunk future of the year 2099, geneticist Miguel O’Hara has his DNA spliced with that of a spider and gains its powers. Aided by his AI companion Lyla, Miguel uses his new abilities to battle the evil Alchemax corporation as the Spider-Man of 2099.

Spider-Man 2099 reading order

Spider-Man : 2099 / David, Peter (the original Spider-Man 2099 series)

The amazing Spider-Man [2] : Spider-Verse prelude / Slott, Dan

The amazing Spider-Man [3] : Spider-Verse / Slott, Dan

Spider-Man 2099 [1] : out of time / David, Peter

Spider-Man 2099. Vol. 3, Smack to the future / David, Peter

Spider-Man 2099. vol. 4, Gods and women / David, Peter

Spider-Man 2099 [6] : Apocalypse soon / David, Peter

Spider-Man 2099 [7] : back to the future, shock / David, Peter

The amazing Spider-Man [7] : 2099 / Spencer, Nick

Spider-Man 2099 : dark genesis / Orlando, Steve

Other stories from Marvel 2099 include:

Secret wars 2099 / David, Peter

Deadpool 2099 / Duggan, Gerry


Spider-Woman (Earth-616)

There have been several Spider-Women over the years, but the first to bear the name was Jessica Drew, who gained her powers from a spider-blood serum made by her geneticist father. Trained in espionage, Jessica has been a private eye, an Agent of SHIELD, and a member of both the New Avengers and the Secret Avengers.

Spider-Woman reading order

Spider-Woman [1] : Spider-Verse / Hopeless, Dennis

Spider-Woman. Vol. 2, New duds / Hopeless, Dennis

Spider-Women / Hopeless, Dennis (crossover with Silk and Spider-Gwen)

Spider-Woman : shifting gears. Vol. 2, Civil war II / Hopeless, Dennis

Spider-Geddon (ONLY on Libby)

Spider-Geddon : covert ops / Priest, Christopher J.

Spider-Woman. Vol. 1, Bad blood / Pacheco, Karla

Spider-Woman. Vol. 2, King in black / Pacheco, Karla

Spider-Woman. Vol. 3, Back to basics / Pacheco, Karla

Spider-Woman. Vol. 4, Devil’s reign / Pacheco, Karla

Spider-Woman in The Avengers

New Avengers (2004), Volumes 1-4 (all ONLY on Libby)

Avengers assemble : the forgeries of jealousy / DeConnick, Kelly Sue

Avengers [1] : Avengers world / Hickman, Jonathan

Avengers [2] : the last white event / Hickman, Jonathan

Secret Avengers [1] : let’s have a problem / Kot, Ales

Secret Avengers [2] : the labyrinth / Kot, Ales

Secret Avengers [3] : God level / Kot, Ales


Spider-Man India (Earth-50101)

(via GIPHY)

Pavitr Prabhakar is a boy from Mumbai who was given spider-powers by a yogi, and learned the lesson of great power and great responsibility after the death of his Uncle Bhim. In addition to being the Spider-Man of India, Pavitr is the resident tech whiz for the Web Warriors.

Spider-Man India appearances

The amazing Spider-Man [2] : Spider-Verse prelude / Slott, Dan

The amazing Spider-Man [3] : Spider-Verse / Slott, Dan

Spider-Verse / Costa, Mike

Web Warriors, protectors of the Spider-verse. Volume 1, Electroverse / Costa, Mike

Web Warriors, protectors of the Spider-verse. Volume 2, Spiders vs / Costa, Mike

Edge of Spider-Verse / Slott, Dan


Spider-Punk (Earth-138)

In a country under totalitarian rule, punk musician Hobie Brown is bitten by a spider mutated by illegal waste dumping. Brown now uses his spider-powers and his sick guitar to inspire rebellions as an anarchic Spider-Punk.

Spider-Punk appearances

The amazing Spider-Man [3] : Spider-Verse / Slott, Dan

Web Warriors, protectors of the Spider-verse. Volume 2, Spiders vs / Costa, Mike

Spider-Geddon (ONLY on Libby)

Spider-geddon : edge of Spider-geddon

Spider-Punk : battle of the banned / Ziglar, Cody


Mayday Parker, Spider-Girl (Earth-982)

May ‘Mayday’ Parker is the daughter of Peter Parker and Mary-Jane Watson from the ‘MC2’ universe, a world where the Marvel heroes aged out of their roles and new heroes take their place.

Spider-Girl appearances

Spider-Girl : the complete collection. Vol. 4 / McKeever, Sean

The amazing Spider-Man [2] : Spider-Verse prelude / Slott, Dan

The amazing Spider-Man [3] : Spider-Verse / Slott, Dan

Spider-Island : Warzones / Gage, Christos

Web Warriors, protectors of the Spider-verse. Volume 1, Electroverse / Costa, Mike

Spider-Geddon (ONLY on Libby)


Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows (Earth-18119)

The Renew Your Vows series shows a future where Peter Parker, Mary Jane, and their daughter Annie-May fight crime together as a family, with Mary Jane taking up the name Spinneret and Annie-May going by Spiderling.

The amazing Spider-Man. Renew your vows / Slott, Dan

The amazing Spider-Man : renew your vows [1] : brawl in the family / Conway, Gerry

The Amazing Spider-Man : renew your vows [2] : the Venom experiment / Conway, Gerry

The Amazing Spider-Man : renew your vows. Vol. 3, Eight years later / Houser, Jody

The amazing Spider-Man : renew your vows. Vol. 4, Are you okay, Annie / Houser, Jody


Scarlet Spiders (both Earth-616)

Scarlet Spider is an alias used by two different clones of Peter Parker: the amiable identical clone Ben Reilly, who briefly replaced Peter as Spider-Man, and the grizzled flawed clone Kaine.

Ben Reilly as Scarlet Spider

Ben Reilly, Spider-Man / DeMatteis, J. M

Ben Reilly : the Scarlet Spider [2] : death’s sting / David, Peter

Ben Reilly : the Scarlet Spider [4] : damnation / David, Peter

Kaine as Scarlet Spider

Scarlet Spider : life after death / Yost, Christopher

Scarlet Spider : lone star / Yost, Christopher

Scarlet Spider. Vol. 3, The big leagues / Yost, Christopher

Scarlet Spider [4] : into the grave / Yost, Christopher

Superior Spider-Man team-up [1] : versus / Yost, Christopher

Spider-Geddon : covert ops / Priest, Christopher J.

Ben Reilly as Spider-Man Beyond

Recently, Reilly replaced Peter as Spider-Man again, this time as a corporate-sponsored hero working for the tech company Beyond.

The amazing Spider-Man : beyond [1]

The amazing Spider-Man : beyond [2]

The amazing Spider-Man : beyond [3]

The amazing Spider-Man : beyond [4]


Gamerverse Spider-Man (Earth-1048)

The ‘Gamerverse’ Spider-Man is the Peter Parker from the 2018 Spider-Man game. He made his comic debut during Spider-Geddon, and later received his own series.

Spider-Man : Velocity / Hopeless, Dennis

Spider-Man : city at war / Hopeless, Dennis

Spider-Man : the Black Cat strikes / Hopeless, Dennis


Superior Spider-Man (Earth-616)

During the Dying Wish storyline, an expiring Otto Octavius (Doctor Octopus) swapped his mind with Spider-Man in order to prolong his life. When Peter’s mind seemingly died in Otto’s body, Doc Ock was inspired not only to take up Spider-Man’s mantle, but become a better Spider-Man than Peter ever was… a Superior Spider-Man.

Superior Spider-Man appearances

The amazing Spider-Man : dying wish / Slott, Dan

The superior Spider-Man [1] : my own worst enemy / Slott, Dan

The superior Spider-Man [3] : no escape / Slott, Dan

The Superior Spider-Man. 5, Superior Venom / Slott, Dan

The superior Spider-Man [6] : Goblin Nation / Slott, Dan

Superior Spider-Man team-up [1] : versus / Yost, Christopher

Superior Spider-Man team-up : superiority complex / Yost, Christopher

Superior Spider-Man team-up : friendly fire / Gage, Christos

While Spider-Verse takes place after Peter took back control of his body, Doc Ock was able to participate in the cross-over due to a time warp. Later, Otto clones himself into a new body to continue his Superior mission.

The amazing Spider-Man : worldwide [7] / Slott, Dan

The superior Spider-Man [1] : full Otto / Gage, Christos

The superior Spider-Man. Vol. 2, Otto-matic / Gage, Christos

Spider-Geddon (ONLY on Libby)


Villains of Across the Spider-Verse

The Spot

(via GIPHY)

Scientist Johnathan Ohnn gained the power to generate spot-shaped portals and set off on a life of crime as ‘The Spot’, with the advantage that his portals don’t trigger Spider-Man’s precognitive ‘Spider-Sense’. While powerful in his own right, Ohnn is not the smartest crook, and his powers are often exploited by other villains, including MODOK, the Kingpin, the Prowler, Carnage, and the Daredevil villain Coyote.

The Spot appearances

Super-villain team-up : MODOK’s 11 / Van Lente, Fred

Daredevil. Vol. 1 / Waid, Mark

Daredevil [4] / Waid, Mark

Spider-Man : Miles Morales [4] / Bendis, Brian Michael

The amazing Spider-Man [12] : shattered web / Spencer, Nick

The amazing Spider-Man [13] : king’s ransom / Spencer, Nick

Carnage. Vol. 1, In the court of crimson / V, Ram


More Spider-Man tales from the Marvel Multiverse

Spider-Man : life story / Zdarsky, Chip – A universe where characters age in real time, following Spider-Man’s career from the 1960s to the present day.

Marvel mangaverse : the complete collection – A manga-inspired universe, home to a Peter Parker trained by spider-ninjas.

What if? With great power – Collects two Spider-Man What If? stories, one where Peter’s jock classmate Flash Thompson became Spider-Man, and one where Peter became a web-slinging Punisher.

What if… : Miles Morales / Ziglar, Cody – What if Miles Morales became a different Marvel hero instead of Spider-Man?

Spider-Man : Spider’s shadow / Zdarsky, Chip – This miniseries explores what would have happened if Peter had fully embraced the Venom symbiote.

The end / Larsen, Erik – Features ‘Miles Morales: The End’, a possible future where an elderly Miles defends a post-apocalyptic Brooklyn.

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… Spider-Verse (Part One)

By

On Sunday, 28 May, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, stuff to read, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s (WCL) Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character. This post is about all the heroes that can do whatever a spider can from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse!

(via GIPHY)

And stay tuned for another blog in a few weeks where we explore the comic origins of the characters from the upcoming Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.


What is Spider-Verse?

Spider-Verse was a 2015 Marvel Comics crossover storyline of all the Spider-Man titles. The story followed Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and other Spider-People from across the Multiverse uniting as a ‘Spider-Army’ to stop a group of aristocratic, interdimensional vampires called the Inheritors from exterminating every Spider-Man in existence.

The original Spider-Verse storyline can be read across these collections:

The amazing Spider-Man [1] : edge of Spider-Verse (also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man [2] : Spider-Verse prelude / Slott, Dan (also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man [3] : Spider-Verse / Slott, Dan (also on Libby)

Spider-Woman [1] : Spider-Verse / Hopeless, Dennis


Spider-Verse publishing line

Since the release of the film Into the Spider-Verse, Marvel has put out a Spider-Verse line of collections to give readers a primer on the heroes and villains featured in the movie.

Spider-Man, Spider-verse : amazing Spider-Man / Eliopoulos, Chris

Spider-Man. Spider-Verse: Spider-Women

Spider-Man : Spider-Verse : Spider-Men / Bendis, Brian Michael

Spider-Man : Spider-Verse : Spider-Gwen / Latour, Jason (also on Libby)

Spider-Man : Spider-Verse : Miles Morales / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

Spider-Man Spider-Verse : fearsome foes / Lee, Stan


Who’s Who in the Spider-Verse?

Miles Morales (Earth-1610, later Earth-616)

Teenager Miles Morales was bitten by a genetically engineered spider and gained spider powers, including the new abilities of camouflage and producing an electric ‘venom shock’. Initially keeping his abilities a secret, after the death of his universe’s Peter Parker, Miles is inspired to take up the mantle of Spider-Man.

Ultimate Universe Miles Morales

Miles was originally from the Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610), a world for modern updates of classic Marvel characters that had its own publishing line, Ultimate Comics, that ran from 2000 to 2015.

Ultimate Spider-Man reading order

Ultimate comics Spider-Man : death of Spider-Man fallout / Bendis, Brian Michael (Miles’ first appearance)

Miles Morales : Spider-Man / Bendis, Brian Michael

Spider-Men / Bendis, Brian Michael (crossover with The Amazing Spider-Man) (ONLY on Libby)

Miles Morales : with great power / Bendis, Brian Michael

Miles Morales : great responsibility / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

Miles Morales : ultimate end / Bendis, Brian Michael

Miles Morales : ultimate end is also collected as Miles Morales: the ultimate Spider-Man [1] : revival / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby) and Miles Morales : the ultimate Spider-Man [2] : revelations / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

Secret wars / Hickman, Jonathan

Ultimate end. Battleworld / Bendis, Brian Michael

Miles also became a member of the All-New Ultimates, a team of young heroes inspired by their universe’s version of the Avengers.

All-new Ultimates [1] : power for power / Fiffe, Michel

All-new Ultimates. Vol. 2, No gods, no masters / Fiffe, Michel


Marvel Universe Miles Morales

After the destruction of the Ultimate Universe during Secret Wars, Miles was folded into the mainstream Marvel Universe (Earth-616) and now fights crime alongside Peter Parker as a protégé. 

Miles Morales Reading Order

Spider-Man : Miles Morales [1] / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

Spider-Man : Miles Morales [2] / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

Spider-Man/Spider-Gwen : sitting in a tree / Bendis, Brian Michael (also collected as Miles Morales : the avenging Avenger) (crossover with Spider-Gwen, also on Libby)

Spider-Man : Miles Morales [3] / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

Spider-Man : Miles Morales [4] / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

Spider-Men II / Bendis, Brian Michael

Miles Morales [1] : straight out of Brooklyn / Ahmed, Saladin (also on Libby)

Miles Morales. 2, Bring on the bad guys
(also on Libby)

Absolute Carnage : Miles Morales / Ahmed, Saladin

Miles Morales. Vol. 3, Family business / Ahmed, Saladin

Miles Morales [4] : ultimatum / Ahmed, Saladin
(also on Libby)

Miles Morales. Vol. 5, The clone saga / Ahmed, Saladin
(also on Libby)

Miles Morales [6] : all eyes on me / Ahmed, Saladin (also on Libby)

Miles Morales. Vol. 7, Beyond / Ahmed, Saladin (also on Libby)

Miles Morales [8] : empire of the spider / Ahmed, Saladin (also on Libby)

Miles Morales : Spider-Man : trial by spider / Ziglar, Cody


Spider-Gwen (Earth-65)

On Earth-65, a ‘low-super’ universe with fewer superhumans, Gwen Stacy was bitten by a radioactive spider, gained spider-powers, and became Spider-Woman. Gwen struggles to balance school, her rock band, her super-heroics, all while continuing her multiversal misadventures with her fellow Spiders.

Spider-Gwen reading order

The amazing Spider-Man [1] : edge of Spider-Verse (Spider-Gwen’s first appearance) (also on Libby)

Spider-Gwen [0] : most wanted / Latour, Jason (also on Libby)

Spider-Women / Hopeless, Dennis (crossover with Spider-Woman and Silk) 

Spider-Gwen. Vol. 1, Greater power / Latour, Jason (also on Libby)

Spider-Gwen Volume 0, 1, and Spider-Gwen’s first appearance in Edge of Spider-Verse are also collected as Spider-Gwen : Gwen Stacy / Latour, Jason

Spider-Gwen. Vol. 2, Weapon of choice / Latour, Jason

Spider-Gwen [3] : long-distance / Latour, Jason

Spider-Man/Spider-Gwen : sitting in a tree / Bendis, Brian Michael (also collected as Miles Morales : the avenging Avenger / Bendis, Brian Michael) (crossover with Spider-Gwen, also on Libby) 

Spider-Gwen. Vol. 4, Predators / Latour, Jason

Spider-Gwen. Vol. 5, Gwenom / Latour, Jason

Spider-Gwen [6] : the life of Gwen Stacy / Latour, Jason

Spider-Geddon (ONLY on Libby)

Later, Gwen takes up the name Ghost-Spider and moves to Earth-616.

Spider-Gwen : Ghost-Spider. Vol. 1, Spider-geddon / McGuire, Seanan (also on Libby)

Spider-Gwen : Ghost-Spider. Vol. 2, Impossible year / McGuire, Seanan

Ghost-Spider [1] : dog days are over / McGuire, Seanan

Ghost-Spider. Vol. 2, Party people / McGuire, Seanan

Spider-Gwen : Gwenverse / Seeley, Tim

Edge of Spider-Verse / Slott, Dan

Spider Gwen : shadow clones / Kim, Emily


Peter Parker (Earth-616)

By the time Spider-Verse happened, Peter Parker had just recovered from having his personality overwritten by Doctor Octopus and was running his own company, Parker Industries. Once the Inheritors arrive on Earth-616, Peter is recruited into the Spider-Army because he is believed to be ‘the greatest Spider-Man’.

Spider-Verse era Amazing Spider-Man reading order

The amazing Spider-Man [1] : the Parker luck / Slott, Dan (also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man [2] : Spider-Verse prelude / Slott, Dan (also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man [3] : Spider-Verse / Slott, Dan (also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man [4] : graveyard shift / Slott, Dan (also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man [5] : spiral / Conway, Gerry


If you want to catch up to Peter Parker’s current adventures, here are the volumes of the most recent Spider-Man run.

Current Amazing Spider-Man run

The Amazing Spider-Man. Volume 1, World without love / Wells, Zeb

The Amazing Spider-Man. Volume 2, The new sinister / Wells, Zeb (also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man. Volume 3, Hobgoblin / Wells, Zeb (also on Libby)

The amazing Spider-Man. Vol. 4, Dark web / Wells, Zeb


Spider-Man Noir (Earth-90214)

Spider-Man Noir hails from the Marvel Noir universe of Earth-90214, where the Marvel heroes first begin appearing in the 1920s and 1930s. Here, Peter Parker gains his powers after being bitten by a mystical spider and becomes a web-slinging, hard-boiled detective.

Spider-Man noir : the complete collection / Hine, David

Spider-Man noir : eyes without a face / Hine, David (also collected in the above complete collection)

Spider-Man noir : twilight in Babylon / Stohl, Margaret (also on Libby)

Edge of Spider-Verse / Slott, Dan

Other titles in the Marvel Noir universe include:

Daredevil noir / Irvine, Alexander

Luke Cage noir / Benson, Mike

Wolverine noir / Moore, Stuart


Spider-Ham (Earth-8311)

Peter Porker was a spider bitten by a radioactive pig (yes, you read that right). He’s from the ‘Larval Universe’, a world populated by anthropomorphic animal versions of Marvel’s superheroes. Outside of Spider-Verse crossovers, Spider-Ham mostly appears in Marvel Comics’ humour publications.

Spider-Ham appearances

Howard the Duck : the complete collection. Vol. 4 / Mantlo, Bill

The Marvel Universe according to Hembeck / Hembeck, Fred

Spider-Verse / Costa, Mike

Secret wars, too

Spider-Man : Spider-Verse : Spider-Men / Bendis, Brian Michael

Web Warriors, protectors of the Spider-verse. Volume 1, Electroverse / Costa, Mike

Web Warriors, protectors of the Spider-verse. Volume 2, Spiders vs / Costa, Mike

Spider-Ham : great power, no responsibility : an original graphic novel / Foxe, Steve (also on Children’s eLibrary)

Edge of Spider-Verse / Slott, Dan


Peni Parker – SP//dr (Earth-14512)

Co-created by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, Peni Parker hails from a world inspired by classic manga and anime like Akira and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Selected by a sentient radioactive spider to replace her father as the co-pilot of a giant robot suit, Peni protects New York as the wall-crawling mecha SP//dr.

SP//dr and Peni Parker appearances

Spider-Man : Spider-Verse : Spider-Men / Bendis, Brian Michael

Spider-geddon : edge of Spider-geddon

Spider-Verse : Spider-Zero / MacKay, Jed


Cindy Moon – Silk (Earth-616)

Did you know that Peter Parker wasn’t the only person bitten by the radioactive spider in his universe? His classmate Cindy Moon also got spider-powers, including the ability to create limitless webs, but she was abducted by the mysterious Spider Society before she could use her new powers. After escaping during the first Spider-Verse event, Cindy dons a costume and becomes the heroine Silk.

Silk has yet to appear in the Spider-Verse films, but is set to star in a planned spin-off movie based on the Spider-Women crossover comic.

Silk reading order

Silk. Vol. 0, The life and times of Cindy Moon / Thompson, Robbie

Silk. Vol. 1, Sinister / Thompson, Robbie

Silk Vol. 0 and 1 are collected together as Silk. Vol. 1, Out of the Spider-Verse (also on Libby)

Spider-Women / Hopeless, Dennis (crossover with Spider-Woman and Spider-Gwen)

Silk. Vol. 2, The negative / Thompson, Robbie

Silk Vol. 2 and the Spider-Women crossover are collected together as Silk : out of the Spider-Verse. Vol. 2 (also on Libby)

Silk [1] : Threats and Menaces / Goo, Maurene

Silk [2] : age of the witch / Kim, Emily

Silk [3] : nightmare boulevard / Kim, Emily


Villains of the Spider-Verse

For the lowdown on all the villains who appear in Into the Spider-Verse, check out Spider-Man Spider-Verse : fearsome foes. Here, we’re only covering the main two villains from the first film, the Kingpin and the Prowler.


The Kingpin

Wilson Fisk is the Kingpin of Crime, a powerful and ruthless mob boss who has fought Spider-Man and Daredevil. In the recent Devil’s Reign crossover, Fisk became the mayor of New York City and employed an army of supervillains to eliminate every hero in the city.

Civil war II : Kingpin / Rosenberg, Matthew

Kingpin : born against / Rosenberg, Matthew

Devil’s reign / Zdarsky, Chip (also on Libby)

Devil’s reign : villains for hire / Chapman, Clay McLeod (also on Libby)


The Prowler

There are two Prowlers currently active in the Marvel Universe: Spider-Man’s sometime-ally Hobie Brown, and Miles Morales’ uncle Aaron Davis. Both Prowlers are inventors who use a variety of gadgets, including a gliding cape, gauntlets that shoot gas pellets, and claws that allow them to climb walls.

Hobie Brown Prowler appearances

The amazing Spider-Man : worldwide [1] / Slott, Dan (also on Libby)

The Prowler : the clone conspiracy / Ryan, Sean

Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man [2] : hostile takeovers / Taylor, Tom

The amazing Spider-Man : beyond [3]

Aaron Davis Prowler appearances

Miles Morales : Spider-Man / Bendis, Brian Michael

Miles Morales : with great power / Bendis, Brian Michael

Spider-Man : Miles Morales [4] / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

Miles Morales. Vol. 3, Family business / Ahmed, Saladin

Miles Morales [4] : ultimatum / Ahmed, Saladin (also on Libby)

Miles Morales [8] : empire of the spider / Ahmed, Saladin (also on Libby)

From India to Poland, to Strange New Worlds and Back Home Again: New YA Titles in the Collection

By

On Friday, 21 April, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, lgbtqia+, new stuff (ooh, shiny!), non-fiction, stuff to read

Let’s face it, there’s nothing like a new book.  That shiny new cover, those crisp pages, they’re wonderful.  Or maybe you’re just looking for something new and interesting that you haven’t come across before.  Well, we got you, have a look at this selection of new YA titles in our collection…

The karma map : a novel / Sharma, Nisha
“Born and raised in the US, Tara Bajaj hides her family secrets. With beautiful clothes, a popular social media presence, and a spot on the Rutgers High Bollywood dance team, she does it well–until her carefully cultivated image shatters. Silas D’Souza-Gupta is an aspiring photojournalist retracing the journey his two mothers took when they fell in love. As Tara and Silas embark on remote pilgrimage sites from Punjab through the Himalayas, they discover what it means to be a child in the Indian diaspora, the significance of karma, and the healing power of love.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Nightbirds / Armstrong, Kate J
“The Nightbirds are Simta’s best kept secret. Magic–especially the magic of women–is outlawed and the city’s religious sects would see them burned if discovered. But protected by the Great Houses, the Nightbirds are safe well-guarded treasures. As this Season’s Nightbirds, Matilde, Aesa, and Sayer spend their nights bestowing their unique brands of magic to well-paying clients. They know their lives as Nightbirds aren’t just temporary, but a complete lie and yearn for something more. When they discover that there are other girls like them and that their magic is more than they were ever told, they see the carefully crafted Nightbird system for what it is: a way to keep them in their place, first as daughters and then as wives. Now they must make a choice–to stay in their gilded cage or to remake the city that put them there in the first place.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The stranded / Daniels, Sarah
“Welcome to the Arcadia. Once a luxurious cruise ship, it became a refugee camp after being driven from Europe by an apocalyptic war. For forty years, residents of the Arcadia have been prohibited from making landfall. Esther is a loyal citizen, working flat-out to have the rare chance to live a normal life as a medic on dry land. Nik is a rebel, planning something big to liberate the Arcadia once and for all. When events throw them both together, their lives, and the lives of everyone on the ship, will change forever.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Protest! : shaping Aotearoa / Hager, Mandy
“A look at protest in New Zealand: what was it about, who did it and were they successful? Starting with Hone Heke and encompassing Parehaka to the land march, votes for women and the nuclear test ban. Culminating in the climate change marches. Mandy Hager looks at the background, the structure of the protest and how it affected attitudes. Includes a brief look at the Pacific Islands claims for independence.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

A tale of two princes / Geron, Eric
“Edward Dinnissen leads a charmed life. He’s the Crown Prince of Canada, gets the royal treatment at his exclusive private school, and resides in a ritzy mansion. But this closeted Crown Prince has just one tiny problem: he’s unsure how to tell his parents, his beloved country, and his adoring fans that he’s gay. Billy Boone should be happy with the simple life. His family’s ranch is his favorite place in the world, he loves his small town, and his boyfriend is the cutest guy at Little Timber High. So why does it feel like something’s still missing? When Edward and Billy meet by chance in New York City, they discover that they are long-lost twins, and their lives are forever changed.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Project Nought / Furedi, Chelsey
“Ren Mittal’s last memory in the year 1996 is getting on a bus to visit his mystery pen pal Georgia. When he wakes up in 2122, he thinks he might be hallucinating… he’s not! Tech conglomerate Chronotech sponsors a time-travel program to help students in 2122 learn what history was really like…from real-life subjects who’ve been transported into the future… and Ren is one of them. On top of it all, he learns that his memory will be wiped of all things 2122 before he’s sent back to the ’90s.  And when he crosses paths with the absolute last person he expected to see in the future, he has a bigger problem on his hands: What if Chronotech isn’t the benevolent organization they claim to be, and he and his fellow subjects are in great danger?” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Spice road / Ibrahim, Maiya
“In the hidden desert city of Qalia, there is secret spice magic that awakens the affinities of those who drink the misra tea. Sixteen-year-old Imani has the affinity for iron and is able to wield a dagger like no other warrior. Her reputation has been overshadowed, however, by her brother, who tarnished the family name after it was revealed that he was stealing his nation’s coveted spice–a telltale sign of magical obsession. Soon after that, he disappeared, believed to have died beyond the Forbidden Wastes. Accompanied by other Shields, including Taha, a powerful beastseer who can control the minds of falcons, she sets out on her mission. Imani will soon find that many secrets lie beyond the Forbidden Wastes–and in her own heart–but will she find her brother?” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The awesome autistic guide for trans teens / Purkis, Yenn
“Calling all awesome autistic trans teens! Yenn Purkis and Sam Rose want you to live your best authentic life – and this handy book will show you how! With helpful explanations, tips and activities, plus examples of famous trans and gender divergent people on the autism spectrum, this user-friendly guide will help you to navigate the world as an awesome autistic trans teen. Covering a huge range of topics including coming out, masking, different gender identities, changing your name, common issues trans and gender divergent people face and ways to help overcome them, building a sense of pride and much, much more, it will empower you to value yourself and thrive exactly as you are.” (Catalogue)

28 days : a novel of resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto / Safier, David
“In Warsaw, Poland, in 1942, Mira faces impossible decisions after learning that the Warsaw ghetto is to be “liquidated,” but a group of young people are planning an uprising against their Nazi captors. Sixteen-year old Mira smuggles food into the Ghetto to keep herself and her family alive. When she discovers that the entire Ghetto is to be “liquidated”–killed or “resettled” to concentration camps–she desperately tries to find a way to save her family. She meets a group of young people who are planning the unthinkable: an uprising against the occupying forces. Mira joins the resistance fighters who, with minimal supplies and weapons, end up holding out for twenty-eight days, longer than anyone had thought possible.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Six times we almost kissed (and one time we did) / Sharpe, Tess
“Six fun facts about PENNY and TATE: 1. They’ve known each other their whole lives; 2. Their moms are best friends; 3. They are DEFINITELY NOT friends; 4. They keep almost kissing; 5. They don’t talk about it; 6. Thanks to their moms, they’re moving in together … But when an almost-kiss goes from almost to I am now wearing your lip gloss, Penny and Tate have no choice but to finally face the music … right?” (Adapted from Catalogue)

She is a haunting / Tran, Trang Thanh
“When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam to visit her estranged father, she has one goal: survive five weeks pretending to be a happy family in the French colonial house Ba is restoring. She’s always lied to fit in, so if she’s straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough, she can get out with the college money he promised. But the house has other plans. Night after night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls exude a thrumming sound while bugs leave their legs and feelers in places they don’t belong. She finds curious traces of her ancestors in the gardens they once tended. And at night Jade can’t ignore the ghost of the beautiful bride who leaves cryptic warnings: Don’t eat. Neither Ba nor her sweet sister, Lily, believe anything strange is happening. With help from a delinquent girl, Jade tries to expose the house’s rotten appetite. A home, after all, is only as powerful as those who breathe new life into its bones. And this one is determined never to be abandoned again…” (Catalogue)

For more new books in the collection, go to: What’s new & Popular / April 2023 (wcl.govt.nz)

Page 1 of 5

Next →

Useful Things

Tags

Authentic Books Comics Competition DVDs dystopia Environment Espionage Events Fantasy Games Graphic Novels Happenings Historical Horror Internet LGBTQ+ magic Manga Meaningful Movies Music New New Books New CDs New DVDs New Music New Zealand Music Non-fiction poetry realistic fiction Review Romance Science Fiction Sci Fi Sport Supernatural supernatural romance Thriller Top 10 Twilight Upcoming Vampires Wellington Writing