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Jen Keith recommends Chicacabra
Isabel Sanchez, also known as Izzy, loves beetles and her Uncle and smoking with her friends. She doesn’t love pretending that everything is okay at her high school when her life and family were torn asunder only a short time ago. Still lost in a haze of getting along day by day while her own mother serves as a painful reminder of her loss, Izzy’s life is upturned once again as one lost girl becomes two when a chupacabra makes her its host body in Chicacabra.
Tom Beland’s cartooning is simple yet so very expressive. With a few lines he’s able to pull and engage you into a folklore of his own creating. The poignant scenes of familial bonding balance wonderfully with the comical moments of Izzy hulking out into a bloodthirsty creature that, despite being the stuff of horror legends, is just as endearing and clueless as the teen girl it inhabits. Chupacabras aren’t just goat-sucking creatures; their myth is revived into something new and heart-wrenching.
On top of the folklore of the less-explored chupacabra and vejigante (which had a fascinating interpretation and I’d love to see a book just exploring Beland’s vejigante retelling), we’re brought to a new environment not as common in comics: Puerto Rico. The culture is as lush as the cast is emotive through Beland’s detail and specific locales, and it’s refreshing to see a different city from the usual set.
For lovers of expressive black and white comics, mythology, and finding your strength in times of loss, check out I Kill Giants for more young heroes finding their strength to conquer and, in time, accept what life throws at them. Until then, bring your love of folklore and a box of tissues with you for reading Chicacabra.
For fans of: female leads, POC leads, horror
Jen Keith is a Digital Editor at comiXology, comic artist, music addict, and kind of wants a chupacabra of her own now.
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Jen Keith recommends Saga #19
From the series that brought us Lying Cat comes the next installment of the abundantly award-winning Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and fionastaples. If you haven’t been following along, it is my duty to direct you back to issue #1; you can thank me later. For those of you keeping up with your required reading, then you already know Saga #19 will be a comic treat.
Saga is your standard boy and girl meet, fall in love, betray their own species during an inter-planetary war, and run off to have what might be the cutest child that side of the universe. Narrating this space romp through lushly designed alien worlds and cultures is said cutest child, Hazel, whose impish personality shines through the re-telling of her own childhood. In Saga #19, we find our besotted heroes/haggard parents in domestic bliss – if you can call juggling a rigid mother-in-law, a messy house pet, and a live-in ghostly baby-sitter the calming, everyday life of domesticity. Work may be tough, but your kid is cute, your spouse is gorgeous, and hopefully no assassins and/or robot princes will end up on your front lawn today.
The aptly named Saga enraptures its audience with Brian K. Vaughan’s perfect balance of poignant and comedic writing and Fiona Staples’ rich, expressive artwork. If you’re all caught up on Saga and aching for more from these two wildly talented creators, Vaughan’s Y: The Last Man and Staples’ work in The Mystery Society will hopefully hold you for now.
As in every issue, Saga and its captivating cast continues the journey across the galaxy and into our hearts.
For fans of: sci-fi, diverse characters, POC leads, female leads, romance, action
Jen Keith is a Digital Editor at comiXology, comic creator, music addict, and shamelessly unapologetic Green Arrow enthusiast.
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Kate Kasenow recommends Shutter #2
In just two issues of Shutter, Joe Keatinge (joekeatinge) and Leila del Duca (assortedfoliage) have captured the imagination that epitomizes fantasy, sci-fi, and futuristic comics. Alongside other fresh Image titles like Pretty Deadly and Rocket Girl, the pages of Shutter #2 give readers a thrilling female-driven tale.
Keatinge’s writing is fast-paced and quirky—a perfect fit for the colorful world he’s created to support his cast. When the story began, our star Kate Kristopher was already a seasoned professional when it came to danger; in fact, she seemed pretty bored of it all. In the second issue, escaping a kidnapping attempt and the mysterious mention of possible siblings intrigues her, making it look like Kate might be back in action. With every issue, the breadth of this comic expands and delights. Not only do we have a fascinating female protagonist, but we have an ever expanding cast of interesting friends, enemies, and yet to be revealed characters that may just be a little of both. Keep an eye on Kate’s sentient clock-cat—he’s my personal fave!
A perfect compliment to this incredible world is del Duca’s fantastic illustrations paired with Owen Gieni’s vibrant colors. What has been set up in this story is any artist’s dream—a vast canvas filled with anything and everything from Irish gangster lions to ghost ninjas—and both del Duca and Gieni illustrate it all with grace and strength reverberating through every panel.
Keatinge and del Duca have not only introduced a new version of reality, they’ve also hooked this reader into a massive and mysterious adventure. Jump into the story now to follow this amazing series!
For fans of: action, female leads, fantasy, sci-fi, mythology, mystery
Kate Kasenow is a comics artist from Indiana currently living in Manhattan. She works at ComiXology as a Lead Digital Editor and spends most of her spare time re-reading J. R. R. Tolkien.
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Madeleine Lloyd-Davies recommends The Movement #12
This was a bittersweet read–I’m sorry to see this exciting new series end, but thrilled (and unsurprised) to see that the book held onto its vision until the end.
gailsimone has consistently committed to writing authentic, diverse characters, and this team proved to be the perfect vehicle to explore dynamics of power and class in a society where cops (and even superheroes!) are less easily classified as “good guys.” By targeting police corruption, and showing more interest in preserving their community than working with authorities, members of The Movement model a kind of activism that I’d love to see more of in comics.
In a final exchange with the team leader, a well-meaning policeman explains to the Movement’s leader that she probably wouldn’t be able to hack it with a legit superhero group like the Justice League: “you’re never going to change enough to fit in with them.” “Oh, I know,” she says with a smile. “That was never the plan. But sooner or later, Captain…they’re going to have to change to fit in with us.” I believe this is Gail Simone’s message to the titans of the mainstream publishing industry: scrappy comic book series like The Movement are coming for them, and they’re not planning to compromise.
Luckily for us, even though this particular series is coming to an end, Gail Simone isn’t going anywhere. You can read new issues from Red Sonja and Batgirl every month, but if you’re a fan of The Movement, I must insist that you start with her game-changing arc on Birds of Prey.
[Pick up The Movement #12 here!]
For fans of: superheroes, female leads, team books, diverse characters
Madeleine Lloyd-Davies, comiXology’s Production Director, has wanted to work in the comics industry since she was seven years old, sitting cross-legged on the floor in CVS and reading Jughead comics.
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Kara Szamborski recommends Rat Queens #6 by kurtiswiebe & johnnyrocwell
In just six issues, Rat Queens has become everything I never knew I needed from a story. With the first story arc wrapped, it’s time to assess the damage—their world is wider than we thought, and Dee is actually [spoiler removed so you’re not spoiled, duh]. But there’s no time for the Queens to indulge in their morning after hangover; there are mushroom people to defeat!
If there is a group of characters who embody the hashtag mantra “sorry not sorry,” it’s the Queens. They fight, they party, and they curse a mean streak, but they love each other and their friendship feels real and interesting. Often compared to Skullkickers for its RPG roots, I’ve found the Rat Queens to be more reminiscent of gailsimone’s current run on Red Sonja for their unapologetic, barbarian behavior, and of Lumberjanes for the engaging action and snappy dialogue.
The Rat Queens are that one night stand you still think about, that bar crawl you’ll never forget (or remember), that punch you wish you’d thrown, that time you threw up in your purse after running from the cops. You know these girls; they’re like your friends after someone’s given them swords and a free rein. Betty just wants to see you smile, you wish Dee would enjoy the dang party already, we’re all running from something like Violet, we’re all angry at something like Hannah. You’d hate them if they ran your town, but you’d never, ever be bored. What are you waiting for? Step up and join the Queens.
For fans of: comedy, team books, female leads, diverse characters
Kara Szamborski supervises the International Production team at comiXology. She unironically loves the song “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies.
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Kate Kasenow recommends Ms. Marvel #3
As a recent reboot, the new Ms. Marvel series from Marvel Comics has quite a history to live up to, but the newest issue does not disappoint!
Written by seasoned comics novelist G. Willow Wilson (gwillow) and illustrated by the talented Adrian Alphona with beautiful colors by Ian Herring (iherring) , Ms. Marvel #3 is the ongoing exploration of what it means to become a hero in a world already inundated with superhero culture. In this issue we are carried along with lead protagonist Kamala Khan as she explores the boundaries of her newfound powers. Tensions are riding high as Kamala’s ongoing struggle to discover who she is bombarded by parental expectations and cultural obligations.
There have been a lot of great things happening in this series from the start. Firstly, we have a new female, Pakistani, Muslim superhero. Second, we have a diverse cast full of great characters who are given their own chances to shine and develop in each issue. Lastly, we are viewing the established Marvel universe through the unique lens; Kamala herself has long been a fan of the superheroes we know, but is a newcomer to their inner workings. That itself is what makes this series perfect for old fans and new readers alike.
So, if you haven’t been reading, now is a great time to get started!
For fans of: Action, Female leads, Superheroes
Kate Kasenow is a comics artist from Indiana currently living in Manhattan. She works at ComiXology as a Lead Digital Editor.