Whether you are a super nerd or a new fan, this month will be a great for new comic book releases. 

Many people don’t even know where to find comics, but to their credit, that whole world can be very confusing. There are trade paperbacks, single issues, mini series, and many different kinds of spin offs of a character’s original story, but this is when comic shop employees come in handy for guidance. 

“I really got into comic books through old television,” A Shop Called Quest employee Edward Mejia says. “With superheroes, I always tell people to go with what they like and just follow it.”

In this quick round-up, four main books will be the center of discussion, all of which can be purchased and read at A Shop Called Quest located in Claremont, California.

Marvel Comics, in honor of Black History Month, has released what they call Marvel Voices a book created by black artists and writers involving the different black Marvel characters. For those wanting to get into comics, this is a good start, having a basic introduction to new faces and helping them get a sense of their character, as it is seven chapters long, each focusing on a different black character. 

“Currently, I’m reading DC versus Vampires, Red Robin, the Robin solo series from 2021, Superman: Son of Kal-EL, Static: Season One, and Aquaman Rebirth,” said senior Eliana Madera, “Since these books come out monthly, I can keep up with multiple stories and characters at once without getting burnt out by binging a series.”

The other would be DC’s SHAZAM book, starring Billy Batson as his powers are slowly being compromised and he must venture through the underworld. It is a four issue limited series so it is easy to catch up on the latest Shazam news. Another great entry by DC with an engaging plot, however it does require the reader to know about the events in Titans Academy as to avoid confusion. For the big two comic publishers, not a bad month. 

“Although I agree with the notion that Batman overshadows most heroes of the DC universe with the exception of Superman and Wonder Woman, I do enjoy Batman media the most. More so than the dark knight, I focus on his supporting cast, or the ‘bat family’, for that Bruce himself as he’s far more interesting in a dynamic than as a stand alone character. So, my main criticism steams the mainstream films focusing on just Batman while ignoring the treasure trove of characters from The Bat Family,” says Madera. 

Sadly, there are some downsides to this month in comics. The ever popular Batman has so many different titles, it drowns out many of the other titles written by other publishers. Almost immediately when walking through the comic shop, there are at least five different Batman books (whereas the typical range is from one to three) to read. While this may be a positive for Batman fans, several are far into their stories (such as Batman: Detective having over a hundred issues released) and it can be hard for new readers to jump in. Some of these books are Batman, Batman: Detective, Batman: Killing Time, Monkey Prince (a book starring Batman), Batman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham and more.

“I think modern comics are still doing a great job of providing their fans with what they want, but I feel like with the amount of comics that have been made throughout the years, the writers must be coming to a point where it’s difficult to introduce original characters and concepts due to how many of them have already been done,” senior Joseph Scott said.

But Indie books are still making their way through comic shops, with issue fifty five of Sage having been released in late January. Another book from Image Comics, Nocterra written by Scott Snyder, is a very compelling book. It follows a truck driver ‘Sundog’ in a world without light and filled with monsters, the latest book, issue eight, being released on March 2. Scott Snyder is well known for his long run on Batman, which has been well received, as well as Justice League, which is another great series. With strong writing and compelling characters, it is a definite pick up. 

“Yeah, I’d totally recommend comics for anyone. The list of genres and characters is endless, meaning there is a comic for nearly everyone. From gritty action to off the walls absurdity, DC has a series for their decades long history for someone. Although it’s intimidating to join at first, you can really join anywhere, but I’d recommend reading either iconic one-shots, like Kingdom Come, or the start of a universe reboot, like nearly anything from 2016 labeled Rebirth,” says Madera.