2023 is coming to an end, but So You Still Want to Read Comics is here.  This is our weekly feature where we take a look at a single topic or genre, then give you two comic book recommendations, perfect for new readers, based on that topic or genre.  This week we’re looking at some of the best graphic novels released in 2023 that will be great for comic book newcomers.

With 2023 nearing its end and holiday vacations on the horizon, there’s no better time to look back on this year’s releases. This year has been a great one for both long-time readers and new readers alike. Exciting new series featuring well-known characters and brand-new ones continued the ongoing trend of transforming from being a niche interest into a medium with much wider appeal.  There was still plenty of superhero stuff, names like Wonder Woman, Daredevil, Superman, and Captain Marvel all got new number 1s this year.  There were also plenty of non-superhero comics to latch onto from just about every genre and sub-genre, and about almost every obscure subject matter you can imagine.  Essentially, this year was one of the better ones in terms of getting into comics.

Here are a couple of comic book series that will be released in 2023 that are great for new readers.  Just know that this only scratches the surface of what came out this year and I highly recommend trying to check it all out, there are just some good starting points.

ONCE UPON A TIME AT THE END OF THE WORLD

Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Alexandre Tefenkgi
Publisher: BOOM! Studios

Starting in the waning days of 2022, this acclaimed series saw its first collected edition released in June of 2023.  As the title suggests, this series begins with the end of the world.  Environmental catastrophes have essentially wiped out humanity.  In the chaos and strangeness that the fall of civilization can bring, two people manage to find each other and form a relationship.  What follows is an examination in what it means to really care for someone and to what degree do the effects of outside circumstances impact our ability to connect, all in the shadow of an odd and at times, downright silly apocalypse.  I often talk about how comic books have a unique ability to convey messages and tell stories in ways other mediums can’t and this is one of those series that is a perfect example of this.  Comics can be sort of goofy even at their most serious, and this series somewhat embraces that with things like plastic cyclones, yet still manages to create a scenario where you’re really rooting for this couple, and even though they’re far from perfect you can get behind them in a very real way.  As of right now, only one volume of a planned three has been released, with the 2nd scheduled to come out sometime in January 2024, so now is a great time to jump on board and catch-up.

DAREDEVIL AND ELEKTRA: VOL. 1

Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Marco Checchetto
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Every once in a while, a creative team will take over a well-established character and rather than simply continue to tell stories featuring that character, they manage to redefine the character and become the benchmark that future teams will strive towards.  That’s exactly what happened when Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto took on Daredevil.  In this series, long-time Daredevil foe The Hand has returned, but this time, Daredevil is willing to venture into uncharted waters to find a way to eliminate them once and for all.  What’s interesting about this story is that while the main story is engaging on its own, it manages to also commentate on things like gentrification, fatal flaws in the U.S. Justice and prison system, and re-evaluate the role of “the superhero” in terms of their relationship with the people, police, and the wealthy elite. Here’s the thing, this is actually a continuation of stories set up over the last few years.  But it does a good job at giving the reader the information that they need to understand what’s going on here, while also providing clear paths both into the past and into the future, for a new reader to continue with their comic book reading.  Also, the appearances of other characters from other Marvel titles like The Punisher, offer convenient ways to expand reading to other titles.

What are some of your favorite graphic novels released in 2023?  What did you think of these recommendations?  Let us know in the comments section below.

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