Science Fiction Comics
Monday, Feb. 5, 2018, 4:49 p.m.Georgetown LibraryStaff Picks
Science Fiction Comics
I’ve always enjoyed reading science fiction. When I started becoming a regular reader of comics in 2015, I knew I had to pick up was Saga because I’d heard such great things about it from fans of all genres. As someone who regularly visits her local comic book store, I’ve found lots of other titles that interest me along the way. If you love science fiction and comics, check out these titles. Most of these titles are aimed at adults, but two exceptional young adult titles are included at the end. When the comic is part of a series, I've provided a link to the first volume. I’ve decided to start this list off with Saga for those who aren’t familiar with it.
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
High-tech Landfall is at war with its magic-making moon, Wreath. Moth-winged Alana, a solider from Landfall, is assigned to guide a ram-horned prisoner from Wreath named Marko. Naturally, she falls in love with him, and when Alana gets pregnant, the two flee in order to have their baby. Although they succeed, plenty of people want them dead, including the Landfallians, the Wreathian high Command, Prince Robot IV of the Robot Kingdom, a humanoid spidery creature called The Stalk and a man called The Will. Told from the perspective of Hazel, Marko and Alana’s daughter, Saga is a mix of space opera and fantasy. Any reader looking for an action-packed, morally complex story filled with gorgeous art will love Saga.
Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick
When I heard that Bitch Planet is set in a world where incarcerated women are sent into space to a penitentiary called the Auxiliary Compliance Outpost, also known as Bitch Planet, I knew I had to read it. The women who are sent to Bitch Planet are noncompliants who don’t meet the standards set by their patriarchal overlords. Prison is already tough, and when businessmen on Earth try to get the inmates to participate in the Megaton world games, life on the planet gets even more dangerous. Pick up Bitch Planet for a comic that is all about tough ladies smashing the patriarchy.
ODY-C by Matt Fraction
In this retelling of the Odyssey, Odyssia and her crew are headed home aboard the ODY-C after a 100-year war at Troia-VII. Poseidon rules the space-sea and throughout the story readers encounter a Cyclops and Zeuss as a Renaissance beauty. Ward’s images are bright and a little bit psychedelic, and Fraction’s writing is extremely poetic, complete with stanza notations. Ody-C is perfect for those who love epic poetry and mind-bending imagery.
Shade by Cecil Castellucci
Loma is unhappy with her life on the planet Meta. She’s dropped out of school, dumped her boyfriend and is just plain bored. Loma decides to steal the coat of famous poet and her personal idol, Rac Shade. When Loma decides to head to Earth and occupy the body of a high school girl who is in a coma, Megan Boyer, she learns that Megan was a bully and lots of people would have been happy if she died. Can Loma handle the pressures of high school life and deal with the madness brought on by the coat? Audiences who like characters with disjointed thoughts and hallucinogenic drawings but still want the satisfaction of reading a linear story will adore Shade.
Letter 44 by Charles Soule
Freshly inaugurated President Stephen Blades is ready to tackle several issues: war, the economy, and a failing healthcare system. Before he has a chance to settle in, Blades discovers a secret that the previous Commander-in-Chief kept hidden from the world. Seven years ago, NASA discovered an aggressive alien presence in the asteroid belt. Luckily, nine astronauts have been sent to make contact. Unluckily, it’s uncertain if they’ll survive the journey. For those who enjoy a healthy dose of politics in their science fiction, Letter 44 is the perfect fit.
Black Science by Rick Remender
Grant McKay, leader of the Anarchist Order of Research Scientists, has invented a device called the Pillar that allows him to punch a hole through the barriers between dimensions. Along with his family and team, Grant sets out to travel the universe. Unfortunately, the machine jumps between dimensions at random intervals, putting the characters in unexpected and dangerous situations. Remender documents these characters’ interpersonal conflicts and delves into their pasts. Readers who love strong characterization and travels through time and space will love Black Science.
Descender by Jeff Lemire
Descender starts 10 years after giant robots called Harvesters attacked the nine planets of the United Galactic Council. TIM-21, a robot who was programmed to be the companion of a young boy living on a mining colony, has incidentally been asleep the past ten years. As TIM-21 wakes up and realizes his home is now abandoned and that his only companion is a robot dog, he’s pursued by two groups of people. There are scrappers, and a group from the Galactic Council who think TIM-21 holds the key to the survival of the universe. Descender will appeal to anyone who loves debating if robots and humans should have the same rights.
Trees by Ellis Warren
Ten years ago, strange alien pillars landed on Earth, and like trees, appeared to be doing nothing. The first volume of Trees follows three storylines: a painter in China who has just arrived in a city under a Tree and gone to the metropolis’s “special cultural zone;” a woman in Italy, protected by a fascist gang, who meets an old man who wants to teach her terrible skills and a research team in Svalbard who is discovering that the Trees may not actually be dormant. Trees will appeal to fans of alien invasion stories who want a unique twist on the subject.
Afar by Leila Del Duca
Boetema’s parents are searching for work, which leaves her alone with her younger brother, Inotu. When Inotu overhears sensitive information and gets in trouble, the two flee in hopes of finding work, their family and safety. Meanwhile, Boetema has been having strange dreams and later learns that she has been astral projecting herself on to other planets. For aliens and a masterfully drawn setting, pick up Afar. Unfortunately, this is currently a standalone comic, but, personally, I would love to read more of this story.
The Woods by James Tynion IV
Bay Point Preparatory High School, located just outside Milwaukee, Wis., was a pretty normal high school until Oct. 16, 2013, when 437 students, 52 teachers and 24 additional staff all mysteriously vanish and end up in a primordial universe that is light years away. How did they get there? Who brought them there? And what exactly is lurking in the woods outside the school? Although The Woods is aimed at young adults, Tynion masterfully builds tension between the adults and the students, and anyone who likes a dash of mystery will love this story.
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
High-tech Landfall is at war with its magic-making moon, Wreath. Moth-winged Alana, a solider from Landfall, is assigned to guide a ram-horned prisoner from Wreath named Marko. Naturally, she falls in love with him, and when Alana gets pregnant, the two flee in order to have their baby. Although they succeed, plenty of people want them dead, including the Landfallians, the Wreathian high Command, Prince Robot IV of the Robot Kingdom, a humanoid spidery creature called The Stalk and a man called The Will. Told from the perspective of Hazel, Marko and Alana’s daughter, Saga is a mix of space opera and fantasy. Any reader looking for an action-packed, morally complex story filled with gorgeous art will love Saga.
Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick
When I heard that Bitch Planet is set in a world where incarcerated women are sent into space to a penitentiary called the Auxiliary Compliance Outpost, also known as Bitch Planet, I knew I had to read it. The women who are sent to Bitch Planet are noncompliants who don’t meet the standards set by their patriarchal overlords. Prison is already tough, and when businessmen on Earth try to get the inmates to participate in the Megaton world games, life on the planet gets even more dangerous. Pick up Bitch Planet for a comic that is all about tough ladies smashing the patriarchy.
ODY-C by Matt Fraction
In this retelling of the Odyssey, Odyssia and her crew are headed home aboard the ODY-C after a 100-year war at Troia-VII. Poseidon rules the space-sea and throughout the story readers encounter a Cyclops and Zeuss as a Renaissance beauty. Ward’s images are bright and a little bit psychedelic, and Fraction’s writing is extremely poetic, complete with stanza notations. Ody-C is perfect for those who love epic poetry and mind-bending imagery.
Shade by Cecil Castellucci
Loma is unhappy with her life on the planet Meta. She’s dropped out of school, dumped her boyfriend and is just plain bored. Loma decides to steal the coat of famous poet and her personal idol, Rac Shade. When Loma decides to head to Earth and occupy the body of a high school girl who is in a coma, Megan Boyer, she learns that Megan was a bully and lots of people would have been happy if she died. Can Loma handle the pressures of high school life and deal with the madness brought on by the coat? Audiences who like characters with disjointed thoughts and hallucinogenic drawings but still want the satisfaction of reading a linear story will adore Shade.
Letter 44 by Charles Soule
Freshly inaugurated President Stephen Blades is ready to tackle several issues: war, the economy, and a failing healthcare system. Before he has a chance to settle in, Blades discovers a secret that the previous Commander-in-Chief kept hidden from the world. Seven years ago, NASA discovered an aggressive alien presence in the asteroid belt. Luckily, nine astronauts have been sent to make contact. Unluckily, it’s uncertain if they’ll survive the journey. For those who enjoy a healthy dose of politics in their science fiction, Letter 44 is the perfect fit.
Black Science by Rick Remender
Grant McKay, leader of the Anarchist Order of Research Scientists, has invented a device called the Pillar that allows him to punch a hole through the barriers between dimensions. Along with his family and team, Grant sets out to travel the universe. Unfortunately, the machine jumps between dimensions at random intervals, putting the characters in unexpected and dangerous situations. Remender documents these characters’ interpersonal conflicts and delves into their pasts. Readers who love strong characterization and travels through time and space will love Black Science.
Descender by Jeff Lemire
Descender starts 10 years after giant robots called Harvesters attacked the nine planets of the United Galactic Council. TIM-21, a robot who was programmed to be the companion of a young boy living on a mining colony, has incidentally been asleep the past ten years. As TIM-21 wakes up and realizes his home is now abandoned and that his only companion is a robot dog, he’s pursued by two groups of people. There are scrappers, and a group from the Galactic Council who think TIM-21 holds the key to the survival of the universe. Descender will appeal to anyone who loves debating if robots and humans should have the same rights.
Trees by Ellis Warren
Ten years ago, strange alien pillars landed on Earth, and like trees, appeared to be doing nothing. The first volume of Trees follows three storylines: a painter in China who has just arrived in a city under a Tree and gone to the metropolis’s “special cultural zone;” a woman in Italy, protected by a fascist gang, who meets an old man who wants to teach her terrible skills and a research team in Svalbard who is discovering that the Trees may not actually be dormant. Trees will appeal to fans of alien invasion stories who want a unique twist on the subject.
Afar by Leila Del Duca
Boetema’s parents are searching for work, which leaves her alone with her younger brother, Inotu. When Inotu overhears sensitive information and gets in trouble, the two flee in hopes of finding work, their family and safety. Meanwhile, Boetema has been having strange dreams and later learns that she has been astral projecting herself on to other planets. For aliens and a masterfully drawn setting, pick up Afar. Unfortunately, this is currently a standalone comic, but, personally, I would love to read more of this story.
The Woods by James Tynion IV
Bay Point Preparatory High School, located just outside Milwaukee, Wis., was a pretty normal high school until Oct. 16, 2013, when 437 students, 52 teachers and 24 additional staff all mysteriously vanish and end up in a primordial universe that is light years away. How did they get there? Who brought them there? And what exactly is lurking in the woods outside the school? Although The Woods is aimed at young adults, Tynion masterfully builds tension between the adults and the students, and anyone who likes a dash of mystery will love this story.
