2014 has already been a pretty solid year for graphic novel releases, as shown by our picks for the best graphic novels and collected editions of January and February. But the big releases of the year are still to some.
IGN's Most Anticipated Comics of 2014
To follow up our Most Anticipated Comics list, we're turning our attention to the biggest and most promising graphic novel releases of the year. All of these are self-contained books featuring original stories. Our list contains not just new releases from the likes of Marvel and DC, but independent creators like Bryan Lee O'Malley, Paul Pope and Farel Dalrymple.
Read our picks and let us know your most anticipated graphic novels in the comments!
Release Date: April 2, 2014
After bringing back their original graphic novel line last year with Avengers: Endless Wartime, Marvel has at least three new releases planned for 2014. Perhaps the most intriguing of these is Amazing Spider-Man: Family Business. It features Peter Parker back in the costume and clashing with the Kingpin. And while that may seem like business as usual, the conflict revolves around the revelation that Peter Parker might have a long-lost sister. Is she real, or just another one of those clones or impostors Peter is always dealing with?
Depending what direction this story takes, it could wind up having a significant impact on the rest of the Spider-Man franchise. But above all, we're excited by the creative team. Family Business is written by Mark Waid and James Robinson and illustrated by painter Gabrielle Dell'Otto. The result will no doubt be a gorgeously rendered hardcover full of humor, intrigue, and great characterization.
Release Date: May 2014
You don't see comic book biographies as often as you do in other forms of media. But the format offers unique storytelling possibilities that can really pay off when it comes to exploring a famous life through words and pictures. Case in point - last year's The Fifth Beatle did justice to the fascinating, tragic life of Brian Epstein in a way that might not have worked in a different format.
So we're looking to Box Brown's rendition of the life and career of Andre the Giant with great interest. No doubt there's an interesting story to tell about the late, great pro wrestler-turned-actor. And judging by Brown's past work on comics like Bellen! and Love is a Peculiar Type of Thing!, we trust him to deliver a heartfelt, whimsical book that explores all aspects of Andre's life.
Release Date: Fall/Winter 2014
DC's Earth One line expanded in 2012 to include the Batman family. Geoff Johns and Gary Frank introduced a more fallible and grounded version of the Caped Crusader - one who butted heads with a surprisingly gruff and militaristic Alfred. Together, these heroes liberated Gotham from the clutches of Mayor Oswald Cobblepot and set the wheels in motion for more familiar Gotham faces to enter the stage in Vol. 2.
The ending to Earth One made it clear that Batman will be joined by Batgirl and will be squaring off against Riddler. But we doubt Riddler will be the only Bat rogue on hand, especially with the first volume teasing at a vastly different take on Two-Face. Between Johns' interesting new spins on the iconic franchise and Frank's impeccably rendered art, we're always up for a new chapter in this saga.
Originally, Earth One Vol. 2 was slated for a fall 2013 release. We suspect Johns and Frank's collaboration on the Shazam backup stories in Justice League pushed this graphic novel back. But fortunately, Johns confirmed to us that this sequel is planned for release this year.
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Mark Millar isn't the only writer with a talent for selling the film rights to his comics before said comics even come out. Max Brooks achieved the same feat recently when his upcoming graphic novel, The Harlem Hellfighters. With any luck, it won't be trapped in development hell as long as World War Z was.
But we're not excited about the release of The Harlem Hellfighters because of any movie deal. Brooks has proven himself a very talented scribe in both prose and comic book form. And he certainly has interesting subject matter to work with here. The OGN is based on the real-life story of the Army's 369th Fighting Division, an all-black unit who fought in Europe during World War I. The story ranges from the soldiers' respective childhoods in Harlem to their training in South Carolina to their combat overseas, all the while exploring the adversity and racial tensions they faced.
The war genre is one that has found a great home in the comic book medium in the past, and we're looking forward to seeing how Brooks and Caanan White's story compares to the classics.
Release Date: May 2014
If you're a fan of indie comics anthologies like Mome, you're probably familiar with the work of Eleanor Davis. Davis' work tends to be very character-driven and full of raw emotion. Some stories feature stark, black-and-white art. Others are full of lush watercolors. And some combine both approaches. Whatever the format, her comics are well worth reading.
The problem up until now has been that Davis work has largely appeared in these anthology books, not collected on its own. That finally changes this spring with the release of How to Be Happy. This graphic novel gathers many of Davis' short stories together and will hopefully serve as a larger platform for her creative talents.
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