By Jake Sexton
As a fan and advocate of graphics novels and comics, I always use the arrival of Comic-Con as an excuse to write about some of the more interesting titles of recent times. Here are some of the biggest hits and most acclaimed comics since last year.
Probably the biggest comic surprise this year has been “Archie Comics.” Archie has been a staple of safe and wholesome for decades, focusing on the antics and romances of a group of teens from the fictional town of Riverdale. In 2015, the publisher boldly decided to revamp their entire comic line to appeal to a modern teen audience. To achieve this, they reached out to some of the top comic creators of the day (Mark Waid, Fiona Staples, Chip Zdarsky), and have succeeded in making a character-driven, coming-of-age series that young adults would actually enjoy reading.
Another surprise hit this year has been “Paper Girls” by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang. Difficult to describe without spoilers, it is a tale of a group of newspaper deliverers in the 1980s, all girls in their early teens, who have their morning route utterly disrupted by mysterious sci-fi incursion (time travel is involved). The characters and their reactions to the chaos drive the story, while readers will want to solve the mystery of what exactly is going on. There is also an intriguing theme of intergenerational conflict. Every time you think you’re starting to get a handle on the story, the plot veers off at 90 degrees, with shocks and cliffhangers.
There is still time to sign up for the library’s Summer Reading Challenge, where you can win prizes and raise money for charity just by reading books. Information at sdcl.org/src.
—Jake Sexton is librarian at the La Mesa branch of the San Diego County Library. Call the library at 619-469-2151; visit in person at 8064 Allison Ave.; or online at sdcl.org.