Start to Finish: Four-ish Comics You Can Complete Right Now

More comics! Unlike my last post with comics recommendations, which focused on first volumes of four series I was interested in reading, this one will be on graphic novels (stand alone stories in comic form) and series that are short/completed. Basically, you can read these entire stories right now, if you so choose (except Lumberjanes… breaking my own rules already!).

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Lots of other bloggers have been gushing about Nimona, for good reason – this comic is totally delightful. This comic started out as a webcomic when the author, Noelle Stevenson, was a college student. It was published as a hardcover in May. It’s set in a weird fantasy/sci-fi universe where Nimona, a shapeshifter with a curious past, forms a partnership with a notorious villain, Lord Ballister Blackheart, battling his former friend (Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin) and the nefarious Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics. This is goofy and warmhearted and so totally fun for readers of all ages.

This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki

This One Summer is another comic that I’ve heard lots of great things about. The book is the story of Rosie and Windy, two friends who meet up every summer when their families head to the lake house. This year is different though – Rosie’s parents are having problems and when she and Windy look for attention elsewhere, they get drawn into teenage drama they can’t quite understand. This book deftly captures that feeling of being caught between ages, too young to understand complex problems, but too old to move through the world obliviously to the challenges around you. I thought the sketch-like illustrations were lovely and, overall, enjoyed this one a lot.

She-Hulk by Charles Soule, Javier Pulido and Ron Wemberly

This most recent run of She-Hulk stories (in trades as Law and Disorder and Disorderly Conduct) aren’t origin stories. Jennifer Walters is a confident lawyer who also happens to be a former member of the Avengers. But she’s past that, focusing on her law career and getting her own small firm off the ground. In these two trades, her practice brings her in contact with a host of familiar faces – Ant-Man, Daredevil, Hellcat and Captain America, to name a few – but always focuses on her practice as an attorney. I liked a lot of this series, but also thought the art was a bit confusing. I had pages where I couldn’t follow which panel to read. And there’s one issue in the middle done by a different artist that was not great. Despite that, I’m sorry this run closed up after 12 issues – I would have read more.

Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis and Brooke Allen

Technically, Lumberjanes isn’t a complete story at the moment. But you can read the first eight issues in a variety of ways, which brings the first major story to a close. And it’s too awesome for me not to mention in this post. This series is written by Noelle Stevenson (yep, same lady) and Grace Ellis with beautiful illustrations by Brooke Allen. It’s about five best friends ready to have an awesome time at summer camp. Mysterious hijinks ensue. It’s a delightful series about friendship and girl power that is feminist and fun and funny. I own the first trade paperback (the first four issues) and read what I expect will be the second trade in single issues on Scribd (available in paperback in October). I’m on pause with the series, but plan to jump back in soon.

What other single story, or completed story arc, comics would you recommend?