1. The Young Avengers

Written by: Kieron Gillen       Illustrated by: Jamie McKelvie

Publisher: Marvel

Legacy isn’t a dirty word…but it’s an irrelevant one. It’s not important what our parents did. It matters what WE do. Someone has to save the world. You’re someone. Do the math. The critically acclaimed team of Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie reinvent the teen super hero comic for the 21st century, uniting Wiccan, Hulkling and Kate “Hawkeye” Bishop with Kid Loki, Marvel Boy and Ms. America. No pressure, right? As a figure from Loki’s past emerges, Wiccan makes a horrible mistake that comes back to bite everyone on their communal posteriors. Fight scenes! Fake IDs! And plentiful feels! (aka “meaningful emotional character beats” for people who aren’t on tumblr.) Young Avengers is as NOW! as the air in your lungs, and twice as vital. Hyperbole is the BEST! THING! EVER!

2. I Kill Giants TP

Written by: Joe Kelly    Illustrated by: Jim Ken Niimura

Publisher: Image

Barbara Thorson, bullied and friendless, will not back down. She is smart, angry, won’t follow the rules, won’t let anyone close, and sees things no one else does. In short, she is a very disturbed girl, and the power of I Kill Giants is its ability to convey the reality of a frightened little girl’s pain along with the wonder of her apparent fantasies. Kelly’s portrayal of the material is nothing short of literary, echoing the similarly combined elements in Roald Dahl’s Mathilda (1988), just as the giants that Barbara describes to her tentative new friend Sophia recall Quentin Blake’s illustrations in The BFG (1982). Nimura’s line work also retains the jittery quality of the British illustrator’s style, creating a world of sharp tension. As Barbara begins to let people in, her insistence that the giants are coming threatens these intensely longed-for relationships. Whether or not they exist, the metaphor of giants to symbolize the vast terrors of a person’s inner life has never been better realized. Along with Storm in the Barn (the 2009 Booklist Top of the List winner for Youth Fiction), this is graphic storytelling at its zenith: employing fantasy to offer profound insight and take readers on a deeply emotional journey.
 

3. Marvel Zombies Vol 1 TP

Written by: Robert Kirkman (Same guy as Invincible and The Walking Dead!)
Illustrated by: Sean Philips

Publisher: Marvel

Torn from the pages of Ultimate Fantastic Four! On an Earth shockingly similar to the Marvel Universe’s, an alien virus has mutated all of the world’s greatest super heroes into flesh-eating monsters! It took them only hours to destroy life as we know it - but what happens when they run out of humans to eat?! Follow their search for more food, and witness the arrival of the Silver Surfer!

4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 TP Cosmic Avengers TP

Written by: Brian Michael Bendis   Illustrated by: Steve McNiven and Sarah Pichelli

Publisher: Marvel

There’s a new rule in the galaxy: No one touches Earth! No one! But why has Earth suddenly become the most important planet in the galaxy? That’s what the Guardians of the Galaxy are going to find out! Join Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Groot and - wait for it - the invincible Iron Man, as they embark upon one of the most explosive and eye-opening chapters of Marvel NOW! These galactic Avengers are going to discover secrets that will rattle Marvel readers for years to come! But while London deals with a brutal invasion by the Badoon, the fate of the Guardians may have already been decided millions of miles away! Why wait for the movie? It all starts here!

5. Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spiderman Vol 1 Revival TP

Written by: Brian Michael Bendis    Illustrated by: Dave Marquez and Mark Bagley

Publisher: Marvel

Miles Morales, the ultimate Spider-Man, is back in action with a new status quo and a new outlook on life! It’s the anniversary of Peter Parker’s death, but as the world mourns the original Spider-Man, a gathering of Spidey’s friends and foes reveal some shocking truths about Peter and his world! A big, big villain from Peter’s past is alive and well…and about to turn New York upside down! Now, Miles must come face to face with the worst nightmare of the Spider-Man legacy: Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin…the man who killed Peter Parker…or did he? Plus, Miles has made a huge choice about the woman he loves. Will he live to regret it?

6. Green Arrow: Year One TP

Written by: Andy Diggle & Jock

Publisher: DC

Oliver Queen has been a faithful member of the Justice League of America and defended Star City with his trusty bown and an arsenal of deadly arrows for years–now thrill to the definitive tale of how he became Green Arrow!

Queen is a frivolous playboy with little care for anyone or anything–apparently even himself. But when he’s double-crossed and marooned on a jungle island, he finds that he does care about something: justice!

Looking for a book to read for upcoming meetings, or maybe you are not sure about something to read in general? Here are some suggested reading for Ladies’ Night book club.

1. Batwoman Elegy, DC Comics
- Batwoman battles a madwoman known only as Alice, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, who sees her life as a fairy tale and everyone around her as expendable! Batwoman must stop Alice from unleashing a toxic death cloud over all of Gotham City — but Alice has more up her sleeve than just poison, and Batwoman’s life will never ever be the same.

2. I Kill Giants, Image Comics
- Barbara Thorson is your new hero: A quick-witted, sharp-tongued fifth grader who isn’t afraid of anything. Why would she be..? After all, she’s the only girl in school who carries a Norse war hammer in her purse and kills giants for a living… At least, that’s what she’ll tell you - but where does the fantasy end and reality begin in the heart of this troubled girl? And what if she’s telling the truth?

3. Hellboy, Dark Horse Comics
- Hellboy, the world’s greatest paranormal investigator, is the only thing standing between sanity and insanity as he battles the mystical forces of the netherworld and a truly bizarre plague of frogs. And if he fails, we all fail with him!
Hellboy is one of the most celebrated comics series in recent years. The ultimate artists’ artist and a great storyteller whose work is in turns haunting, hilarious, and spellbinding. Mike Mignola has won numerous awards in the comics industry and beyond. When strangeness threatens to engulf the world, a strange man will come to save it. Sent to investigate a mystery with supernatural overtones, Hellboy discovers the secrets of his own origins, and his link to the Nazi occultists who promised Hitler a final solution in the form of a demonic avatar.

4. Sex Criminals, Image Comics
- Suzie, a librarian, and Jon, an actor, meet at a party and, after sleeping together, they discover that they share the ability to freeze time when they orgasm. As their relationship develops and their sexual histories are explored, they decide to rob the bank where Jon works in order to save Suzie’s endangered library.

5. Captain Marvel, Marvel Comics
- Hero! Pilot! Avenger! Captain Marvel, Earth’s Mightiest Hero with death-defying powers and an attitude to match, is back and launching headfirst into an all-new ongoing series! As Captain Marvel, a.k.a. Carol Danvers, comes to a crossroads with a new life and new romance, she makes a dramatic decision that will alter the course of her life and the entire Marvel Universe in the months to come. It’s time to go HIGHER, FURTHER, FASTER and more in the most super-powered comic around!

6. Red Sonja, Dynamite
- Known as the “She-Devil  With A Sword,” Red Sonja was given the divine gift of supreme fighting skill in exchange for her vow of never loving any man who could not defeat her in fair combat. She has become the archetypal example of the strikingly beautiful warrior woman clad in revealing bikini-like armor.

7. Hawkeye, Marvel Comics
- The breakout star of this summer’s blockbuster Avengers film, Clint Barton - aka the self-made hero Hawkeye - fights for justice! With ex-Young Avenger Kate Bishop by his side, he’s out to prove himself as one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! SHIELD recruits Clint to intercept a packet of incriminating evidence - before he becomes the most wanted man in the world. You won’t believe what is on The Tape! What is the Vagabond Code? Matt Fraction pens a Hawkeye thriller that spans the globe…and the darkest parts of Hawkeye’s mind. Barton and Bishop mean double the Hawkeye and double the trouble…and stealing from the rich never looked so good.

8. Lumberjanes, Boom!
- Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together…and they’re not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! Not only is it the second title launching in our new BOOM! Box imprint but LUMBERJANES is one of those punk rock, love-everything-about-it stories that appeals to fans of basically all excellent things. It’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Gravity Falls and features five butt-kicking, rad teenage girls wailing on monsters and solving a mystery with the whole world at stake. Collects Lumberjanes #1-#4.

9. THOR, Marvel Comics
- The great hammer MJOLNIR lies on the moon, unable to be lifted by anyone in all the heavens! Even THOR! • Something dark has befallen the God of Thunder, leaving him weakened and for the first time in forever… UNWORTHY! • But when Frost Giants invade the Earth, the hammer will be lifted and an all-new Thor will arise! A Thor unlike any we’ve ever seen before! • Who is this new GODDESS OF THUNDER? Not even Odin knows! • JASON AARON teams with hot up-and-coming artist RUSSELL DAUTERMAN (CYCLOPS) to create a bold new chapter in the storied history of Thor!

10. Gotham Academy, DC Comics
- WELCOME TO GOTHAM ACADEMY! Gotham City’s most prestigious prep school is a very weird place. It’s got a spooky campus, oddball teachers, and rich benefactors always dropping by…like that weirdo Bruce Wayne. But nothing is as strange is the students!  Like, what’s up with Olive Silverlock? Is she crazy or what? Where did she go last summer? And what’s the deal with her creepy mom? And how come that Freshman MAPS is always following her around? And is she still going out with Kyle? P.S. Did you hear the rumor about the ghost in the North Hall?! GOTHAM ACADEMY is a new, monthly teen drama set in the shadow of Batman and the craziness of Gotham City, with new characters and old plus a secret tie to Gotham’s past…

The Next Chapters in series we’ve already read.

1. Rat Queens, Vol 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles Of N’Rygoth TP, Image Comics
- This booze-soaked second volume of RAT QUEENS reveals a growing menace within the very walls of Palisade. And while Dee may have run from her past, the bloated, blood-feasting sky god N’rygoth never really lets his children stray too far. Collects RAT QUEENS #6-10

2. Ms. Marvel Volume 2: Generation Why, Marvel Comics
- Who is the Inventor, and what does he want with the all-new Ms. Marvel and all her friends? Maybe Wolverine can help! Kamala may be fan-girling out when her favorite (okay maybe Top Five) super hero shows up, but that won’t stop her from protecting her hometown. Then, Kamala crosses paths with Inhumanity for the first time - by meeting the royal dog, Lockjaw! Every girl wants a puppy, but this one may be too much of a handful, even for a super hero with embiggening powers. But why is Lockjaw really with Kamala? As Ms. Marvel discovers more about her past, the Inventor continues to threaten her future. The fan-favorite, critically acclaimed, amazing new series continues as Kamala Khan proves why she’s the best (and most adorable) new super hero there is! MS MARVEL #6-11

3. Saga Vol. 2 TP, Image Comics
- Collecting the epic second storyline of the smash hit series Entertainment Weekly called “the kind of comic you get when truly talented superstar creators are given the freedom to produce their dream comic.” Thanks to her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana, newborn baby Hazel has already survived lethal assassins, rampaging armies, and alien monstrosities, but in the cold vastness of outer space, the little girl encounters her family’s greatest challenge yet: the grandparents. Collects SAGA #7-12.

Not yet collected series that are worth reading. All are on-going series. 

1. Bitch Planet, Image Comics
- Bitch Planet is an ongoing American comic book created by writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist Valentine De Landro. The series is a feminist send-up of the exploitation film genre that takes place in a dystopian reality where non-compliant women are sent to an off-planet prison. DeConnick described the creation of the book as being “born of a deep and abiding love for exploitation and women in prison movies of the ’60s and ’70s.

2. Curb Stomp, Boom!
- Three gangs. Five girls. No way out. Machete Betty leads a small gang of women under the self-appointed task of protecting their home of Old Beach, one of three boroughs surrounding a rich metropolitan city. When Betty takes the life of a rival gang member in an act of self-defense, she sets off a chain reaction of retaliation, gang warfare, and unlikely allies. It’s up to the The Fever – Machete Betty, Derby Girl, Bloody Mary, Daisy Chain, and Violet Volt – to defend their turf at all costs.

3. Lady Killer, Image Comics
- Betty Draper meets Hannibal! Josie Schuller is a picture-perfect homemaker, wife, and mother—but she’s also a ruthless, efficient killer for hire! A brand-new original comedy series that combines the wholesome imagery of early 1960s domestic bliss with a tightening web of murder, paranoia, and cold-blooded survival.

Interested in the stories we’ve already read? Follow the link to  our Ladies’ Night TCBS events page to see everything we’ve already read!